Avatar: The Next Legend
by Eman5805
Summary: The story of the world after the defeat of the Fire Lord. New characters, new places, new plot, and a story in Avatar meant to be told.
1. The Prologue

Disclaimer: I haven't read anyone else's fanfic about what happens before or Avatar the events of the show. Any coincidences such as character names, history, or abilities; city or place names; or really anything having to do with this fanfiction, is just that, coincidence. However, this fanfic will occasionally have some parody elements in it, so not everything will be completely made up. It's all for entertainment anyway.  
Criticism, hints, accolades, or whatever are welcome. Enjoy! (I hope.)

_Earth. Fire. Air. Water. For 100 years the Fire Nation waged a war that threatened to destroy world. They nearly succeeded, until the Avatar returned from a century's absence and defeated the Fire Lord, ending the war and restoring balance to the world. At least for a time. The war was over, but the struggle to maintain that balance is a constant one. To prevent another 100 year catastrophe, Avatar Aang hopes to create an alliance between the nations, which shall cause change on level never seen before. However, such change is not welcomed by all, and the few years since the war, may not have been enough time for the world to recover…_Book 1: Earth  
Chapter 1: The World Reborn

**Ba Sing Se's Grand Palace Hall, on the 7th anniversary of the ending of the 100 year war…**

The anticipation was palpable, and the crowd grew restless by the minute. Avatar Aang paced nervously, wringing his hands. Momo following behind his moments on the ground. Behind the closed doors to the hall with him was Toph, Katara, and Sokka.  
"Aang, you can settle down. He'll be here," Katara consoled, as she held the newest addition to the group in her arms.  
"I know, I know. It's not _Zuko_ showing up I'm worried about." Aang said still worried.  
Sokka, leaning on a pillar, shrugged. "Then let's give the speech without him. Zuko's known for a month when this event would be." Sokka reached and took out a custom pocket watch, the newest model made specially by Teo and his father. "We've waited an hour and 12 minutes already. Fire Lord or not, the world shouldn't stop just because he can't get here on time. I say we go in now, not unless we want _him_ to-"  
Toph's head jerked up. "Not going to be necessary, guys." She turned as did everyone else in time to see Fire Lord Zuko saunter up, with his wife Mai in two.  
Sokka swung his arms out from his sides. "Geez, what took you?"  
Zuko, in full Fire Lord garb, said, "Believe it or not, traffic."  
Katara scoffed. "What? Since when do dragons have to worry about traffic?"

Zuko shrugged. "Since the Earth King's palace become a no fly zone."  
"Are we going inside or are we going to stand out here and talk?" Mai said with a yawn.  
Aang nodded. "She's right. Let's go."

Nobility from every nation was gathered in the Grand Hall. It was the official announcement everyone was talking about. What Avatar Aang originally hoped would be a simple announcement at the palace turned into a function. Everyone inside was well dressed in their most expensive clothing, and someone decided to cater the event. Two long tables piled high with food sat on opposite ends of the large room, Sokka especially loved the sight of that. Everyone turned and parted when the doors opened.  
Aang and his friends made their way to the stage. Giving polite nods and waves as the crowd gave their respect.  
Sokka, surveying the crowd, leaned close to Aang's ear and whispered "No sign of you-know-who."  
"Let's hope it stays that way," Aang whispered back. "If he shows up, things will get ugly."  
"He won't be here. He doesn't even know about this," Katara, again trying to comfort Aang.  
Zuko was frowning. "I wouldn't be sure. There's too many people here. Someone got the word out. I've got a bad feeling that he found out."  
"Why are you all so worried about one guy? Who is he anyway?" Mai asked.  
"Yeah, and how come I don't know who this guy is?" Toph wondered.  
Aang was the first to step onto the stage. "Let's hope either of you don't have to find out," he said.

Zuko took his place next to the Earth King, and Water Chief. Each chair affixed with a flag bearing the symbol of each nation. Aang took deep breathe. Katara touched his shoulder. "It'll be fine. Just say what you have to say."

Aang smiled, looking at his newborn daughter. "Thank you, Katara." He walked up to the podium. "And I would like to thank you all for coming. I know it may have been inconvenient to hold off on your plans to make the long journey to Ba Sing Se. But, again, thank you for your time." Aang paused. Took another deep breathe and continued. "During the war, a wise man once told me, that the greatest illusion is the illusion of separation. All things that we consider separate are really the same. I knew that this was referring to the four nations. For generation after generation, we've all lived in our own separate parts of the world. Sadly, after the loss of the Air Nomads, I know understand that a war between nations was inevitable.

"Fire Lord Sozin believed that the Fire Nation was the superior nation; that fire was the superior element. That ignorant ideal became the reason he used the comet to strike down the Air Nomads and begin a terrible war. If the four nations had been more united, Sozin wouldn't have believed his nation superior. If the four nations lived as true equals, keeping in constant contact, sharing with one another, living as the one race of people we all truly are, the war would've been stopped long before it ever began. To prevent another catastrophe like the war from ever occurring, something must change. Something must be done to unite the remaining nations, to ensure that future generations, will have a peaceful world to be born into. A new world" Aang looked over his shoulder to Katara, who was nodding her approval as the baby girl slept in her arms. Some people in the crowd applauded their agreement, which spread, then quieted.  
When the clapping stopped, Aang continued. "And is why, I am happy to announce the-"  
The sound of stone shattering, followed by an earsplitting sound came from outside the hall door that made everyone jump and cover their ears. A harsh screeching sound that only came from metal and stone scrapping together. The sound of something heavy being drug across the ground.  
Aang's heart dropped and in an almost whisper. "Oh no."  
The sound was getting closer, and louder. The noise made the baby stir, so Katara tried to cover the baby's ears. The crowd started murmuring. "What's going on out there?" Katara asked.  
"I'll find out," Toph said then jumped down to the stone floor and felt the ground. "It's some guy. And he's carrying a…what is that? Some big chunk of metal?"  
Sokka shook his head. "This is all your fault, you know that," he ahead said to Zuko, still in his chair.  
Zuko turned. "What? Don't blame-"  
The doors burst open.  
The Earth Kingdom general always makes a strong first and second impression. It's not usually a good one, but it is definitely a lasting one. The first anyone remembers about is his the hammer. More specifically it's a zhan chui, a war hammer, and an over exaggerated one. It's impossible to not connect him with his hammer, not because it seemed too large to be useful as a weapon, but because the hammer went everywhere he went. During the war, the saying about a bull-spider in a glassware shop was changed. Soldiers would joke the at least bull-spiders left the glassware shop standing when it left. That hammer cause didn't damage whether the general wanted it to or not, it caused damage because he didn't care if it did or not. Not to be overstated, the hammer itself only the first impression.

"WHY AREN'T I SURPRISED?" His voice was the second. "You decide to make your little announcement, and lo and behold, who is left off the guest list?" He swung the hammer off the ground and onto his shoulder, causing people nearby to jump back out of the way or risk being bludgeoned.  
Toph, back on stage, was covering her ears. "Yikes. You're right. I do wish I hadn't met him."  
"I'd rather be blind right now, to tell the truth." Mai said with a grimace, partially looking away as the general made his way down to the stage.

"Well, _Avatar_ Aang?" The word "avatar" was said like it left a bad taste in his mouth.  
The Earth King stood out of his seat, furious. "I've always had great respect for you, but you go too far. Barging into my palace hall some like rampant animal, is one thing, but insulting the Avatar is quite another! Guards!"  
Reluctantly, Aang held up a hand. "No need for that, he can stay. I know everyone doesn't agree with what we all have planned. A voice of argument is welcome-"  
The general broke out into a boisterous laugh. The kind of laugh that comes from deep inside your stomach. It was loud enough to scare the baby fully awake, who started crying. Katara quickly started to shush her. "HA! 'A voice of argument is welcome'? Funny to hear that coming from you, after all that posturing you did to make sure I wouldn't show up. How Airbender of you; retreating to save some face."  
Sokka stepped forward. "You see, everyone? That's the kind of bigotry, Aang was talking about!"  
Aang reached up and placed his hand on Sokka's shoulder, he was still taller than Aang after all this time. "It's alright, Sokka. I'll handle this."  
"You're damn right!" The general turned to the crowd. "If believing the Earth Kingdom is the greatest nation on the planet makes me a bigot, then I guess I am a bigot. Not a single one of you worth the colors you're wearing would say any different about your nation. Am I right?"  
Some in the crowd nodded in agreement, others were staring at the hammer laying on his shoulder, wondering when he'll slam it to the ground. They all knew who he was, and there is no "if" about it.  
"So, for all I care you can to back to the poles and suck on ice cubes in your igloos, you peasant! The Earth Kingdom was meant to be lived in by Earth Kingdom citizens!"  
Before Sokka or Katara could say anything, Aang cut int, "And Earth Kingdom citizens will continue to live in the Earth Kingdom. How can the other nations properly trade and work together from our own separate parts of the world?" Aang said down to the general, trying to stay calm, knowing full well the situation was a blasting jelly keg, and this general was the fuse.  
"The same way we all have for thousands of years, that's how!"  
"The same way eventually wound up with the Air Nomad's destruction. I'm all that's left now. If another crisis event like the war occurs, who is to say what will happen. We need to act now, while the world is finishing rebuilding. By shaping our own fates, we can prevent future wars and create a better world. What I'm talking about is improving all the nations."  
The general turned and jabbed a finger at Aang. "What you're talking about is the destruction of the Earth Kingdom! You've already made the Earth King your lapdog. Maybe _he_ will, but I won't stand by while Firebenders are living next door! Living next to my family! What's stopping them from another war?"  
Zuko stood up. "I am."  
The general laughed again. "Oh yes, the great Fire Lord Zuko. So great, he's still fighting the pocket rebellions of Ozai loyalists seven years after Ozai's reign ended. You could sooner stop another war than stop your gloomy wife from getting her monthlies! Oh wait, I'm sorry, she doesn't get them at all! How many kids she given you yet? Don't worry, though, hang tough, maybe next time will be the charm! HAHA!"  
No one expected that kind of comment, not from him. Not from anyone. The crowd's reaction was a mixed one. Some appeard to know, others didn't.  
It was thought to be a secret that Fire Lady Mai was having trouble bearing any children, at least a secret to all but those closest to the Fire Lord. Somehow word got out, and it spread far enough into the Earth Kingdom that the general even knew. Mai jerked as if she was just stabbed in the heart, then she clutched her lower abdomen. Though in truth, she was.  
Zuko flew at the general, flame literally shooting from his mouth! "How dare you!!"  
A gust of wind from Aang cancelled out the flames, as Sokka grabbed Zuko's arms. "Stop it, Zuko!" Aang pleaded. Zuko struggled, but then relented. The baby was beyond agitated crying, now she was pouring tears. Katara rushed off stage, hoping to sooth it outside. Looking back at the general with absolute disgust.  
"YES! Now you know how it feels when your pride is insulted! The thought of something you cherish being taken down to a lesser level! Being tainted by things out of your control! That helpless feeling, that makes you want to lash out! LIKE THIS!" The general whirled around, away from the stage, to the crowd. The hammer was a blur! The impact shook the entire ball room.  
Many people speculated on if the general was an Earthbender. But he claimed the hammer was entirely made of metal and only Toph could bend it. Yet, those same people insisted there must be a chunk of rock inside, because at the size of that hammer, no regular person could swing it, at least not in any useful way in battle. Because no one ever held the hammer but him, all they had was the generals word that every time he swung that hammer, it was pure brute muscle that enabled him to do it. The general's word held sway with many, but this was something only a few believed was true.  
"That's enough! Guards, take him away!" The Earth King shouted. Aang didn't object this time. Before the general could pick up his hammer, it was pulled underground, just enough to where he couldn't pull it out.  
"Don't bother. I can take my self away," he said to the guards.  
"We have orders from-" one guard started.  
"You have some nerve, Cho Li. I saved your father's life."  
"That was 15 years ago, sir."  
The general spat. "14 years, 3 months, and 23 days ago, son. Regardless of when, thanks to me, you can still go home and see your dad today."  
The guard Cho Li, looked away, then clinched his first in front of him. The hammer lifted back out of the ground. The general lifted it back up to his shoulder. And walked to the door.  
Katara returned, holding the still whimpering baby, but not crying out anymore. "Monster." She said loud enough for the words to carry and be heard by the exiting general.  
Just as the doors were being closed on him, the general looked back in and said, "Avatar, you think I'm the only person against this World Reborn Act? You're wrong. I may be the only person in this room against it like I am, but there's many more people out there." He turned sideways and looked out at even more massive city of Ba Sing Se. "There's people with my view the world over. From every nation. People meaner than me, because they aren't in the army or wear fancy clothes. People who will express their disapproval more than me, because they stand to lose much more than I do if your little plan fails. Being the 'People's Avatar' won't spare you their backlash. I'll be seeing you again, Avatar. Count on it."

**Later that evening…**

"I hope I'm doing the right thing, Katara," Aang said, his head in his hands, sitting on stage, staring at the large dent in the floor. Everyone had left. The general's arrival ended the whole get together mode, and the general already made the announcement. Everyone agreed it was best to just call it a night. The catered food was never touched. Except by Sokka and Momo. Zuko left with Mai, both of whom were very silent for the rest of the night. Toph had gone home too.  
"You are, Aang. It's a wonderful idea you, Sokka, and Zuko came up with. It really will make the world a better place. I know it." The baby was sleeping again.  
"But, what if he's right?"  
"Who? That loudmouth, thug?"  
"Yeah, I mean. Everyone who was here may have their doubts, but they'll go along with it. But, everyone else…we don't know yet. Maybe we should postpone the act."  
"Aang, listen to me. That man is just a war veteran who misses being in the spotlight and swinging that hammer around. All his knows is conflict and fighting. And taking the glory from being who he is. Someone like that doesn't understand the change you're going to cause. And what he doesn't understand, he fights it. The common people aren't like that. They may object at first, but they'll see the change as a good thing in the long run." She leaned over and the kissed. Aang looked down at the baby, and smiled again.  
Sokka, sitting down next to them chomping on a leg of pig-chicken, said "Not to mention you wouldn't want to hold another announcement to say you're not going through with the act, would you? Imagine how what he'd show up and do then? Probably knock the walls down in a fit of joy."  
They all laughed. "You're right," Aang said, returning to his cheerful smiley self. "I mean, if that's the kind of person who's against the plan, I must not be all that bad."  
"That's the spirit, Aang!" Sokka said with a fist pump.  
Katara yawned. "It's getting late. Let's head home. Tomorrow we have to start getting candidates for the ambassadors." They started for the doors.  
Aang asked. "Got anyone in mind for the Water Tribe Ambassador yet, Sokka?"  
He shrugged. "No, but hopefully someone will qualify."

_Sixteen years later…  
_The massive monumental statue to Avatar Aang was nearly complete and right on schedule. The Avatar was going to be there for the grand opening. It was big news for one of the newest cities in the Earth Kingdom. The grand opening was supposed to be the crowning achievement for the city and bring excitement and life to the new city, but the murders were the bigger news. Each month they grew more frequent. There wouldn't have been such cause for alarm if the killings didn't happen all over the Earth Kingdom, and all seemingly by the same person or persons using the same grisly methods.  
But, it was all the leaders of the nation's hope that the revealing of the new Avatar's identity would put the people's minds at ease, even if only somewhat. Then perhaps they could start to move one and forget the events 16 years ago. The terrible events that shook the world, especially the Earth Kingdom, to it's foundation. The events that took the life of Avatar Aang, and left the world, again, without an Avatar long before it expected to…

The next chapter...  
Chapter 2: The Man Called Ezeru


	2. Chapter 1: The Name Caleld Ezeru

_**Book 1: EarthChapter 1: The Man Called Ezeru**_

**Aunt Meng's diner…**

Chef Tin Li shouted over the hiss of the fire, "What time is it, Meng?"

Meng, a portly middle aged woman with a large gap in her teeth, looked at the clock as she counted the change to a customer. "Three minutes to one thirty. You don't get off for another hour and a half. And I know you've got a watch, now get on those salmon cuts!"

Tin Li shook his head. "No, not that, Ezeru's coming, you'd better get Miko ready."

Miko, one of Meng's many, many nieces, looked up from rinsing out a pitcher in the sink. "Who's Ezeru?"

"A regular customer, comes in at the same time everyday. He can be…a little intimidating the first time you see him."

"Why?"

Tin Li chuckled, checking his pocket watch. "Oh you'll see. In five, four, three, two, one."

Miko was looking at the front door, so she jumped when the side door, just a few feet away from her, swung open and Ezeru stepped in, leaning under the overhang. His gasa, outfit, and right arm all familiar to Meng and Tin Le.

Miko froze. She was a very short girl of sixteen. Ezeru towered over her by more than a foot. She held the pitcher tightly, protectively in front of her chest, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape.

Tin Li laughed at Miko's reaction. "Hiya, Ezeru. How's work?"

"Fine." Ezeru spoke very softly.

"The usual?" Meng asked, paying out to the final customer in line as Ezeru walked over too the counter. She asked already knowing the answer.

"Yes."

"The usual, coming up." Tin Li said as he flipped his spatcula in his hand.

Meng looked at Miko and saw she still hadn't moved. "Those dishes won't clean themselves, girl. Miko? Hey!" Miko blinked, finally taking her eyes off Ezeru, who never seemed to notice her. "Snap out of it."

"Oh, right, sorry." She feverishly tried to dry the pitcher, but she was too rattled to properly hold anything.

It wasn't _fear_ that had her in a near stupor.

Meng had stepped over, looking at her face. "Blushing, huh?" she whispered.

Miko batted her eyes. "What? No, I'm not."

"Then, why are your cheeks so red?" Aware she was further embarrassing Miko, she added, "It's those green eyes isn't it?"

Miko paused, stole a glance at Ezeru, who still hadn't moved, waiting patiently for his plate. She tilted her head slightly to the side, a gesture of defeat and acknowledgement. "They're…they're…amazing."

"I know."

"Hot plate! Hot plate!" Tin Li was reaching the plate through the kitchen window. With a wink, Meng left Miko to her dishes and handed took the plate from Tin Li. Ezeru had already laid out exact change on the counter top and took his plate.

After nine minutes, Ezeru was finished and had left. Without saying a word to anyone else.

"So, he comes at the exact same time, orders the exact same thing, every single day?" Miko asked after she cleaned off his plate, which was nearly spotless.

"He even sits at the same table, same seat. If ol' Tinny Linny back there made him the exact same amount, he'd finish it in the same amount of time. You can set your clock to Ezeru. Never met someone more dedicated to a routine, no one is forcing him to keep, in my life."

"It's almost inhuman," the chef chimed in.

"How old is he?" Miko asked.

Meng started to answer but realized she didn't have one. "You know, I don't have a clue."

**Museum of the Avatar…**

"You're pullin' my leg," said the former Fire Nation resident Yuan Po, chipping away the final details on Avatar Aang's right arm. "A demon? Come on."

The Water Tribe born, Toruk shook his head as he leaned against the scaffold railing. He finished early for the day. "I'm serious. They say it's an evil spirit running around butchering people."

"And who are 'they' exactly? Senile, old farts that barely see their own cataracts?"

Toruk chuckled. "No, not every one who has seen it, them, or whatever is old. They say that someone fairly young has seen it. Claims he saw the demon flying off into the night," Toruk waved his hands to demonstrate.

Yuan Po laughed. "Now I know you're joking. Now not only is this demon killing people without a trace, but it's 'flying off into the night'? Too cliché to be real. It's just some kid with an overactive imagination, that's who it was right? Probably heard the stories, and wanted to impress his friends. Spread some false rumors to get attention. Sounds a lot like my son."

Toruk shrugged. "Hard to say. It's all rumors anyway. It is kind of scary, you know? No one is reporting anything specific on the killings. No way of figuring out exactly why who is dying, well, is dying. Could be random, but it's a little unnerving that so much is being held quiet. Is that how they treat big news like this around here?"

Yuan Po took a few more chips at the knuckles, then wiped the sweat from his brow. "I've lived here only a few months, I know you were here just about a week. The murders were happening _long _before I got here, and I didn't find out about the murders _until_ I got here. I don't know if that's just how the Earth Kingdom does it or not. Maybe you should ask the big man, he's lived here all his life, but you know you won't get much out of him." Almost on cue, heavy footsteps shook the scaffolding, which creaked under the weight. They both knew who was coming.

He was carrying two large sacks of earth over his shoulder on opposite ends of a metal pole. Each had to weigh 50 pounds, but he carried them almost effortlessly, with one arm. He was there for the stones each sculptor chipped off of the statue. The pulley system was broken and no one bothered fixing it. "After all," the foreman had said, "why fix it when you can just let Ezeru do the heavy lifting? He don't seem to mind."

"How you doin', Ezeru?" Toruk said.

"Fine."

"I gotta question for you," Toruk said, giving Yuan Po a "Watch this" look.

Ezeru shifted his eyes, toward Toruk, but his head never turned. Talking to Ezeru could be difficult, you had to follow his eyes, but they were hard to see under the shadow his gasa cast over his face. Unless you were standing on a certain side, then it was a little easier. Toruk happened to be standing on the _right side _this time.

"You've heard of those mysterious killings, right?"

"Yes."

"Know any reason why the newspapers never say much about them?"

"No."

"Really?"

"No."

"Really, really?"

"No. No." Toruk said the same thing when Ezeru said it. Both men busted out laughing. Ezeru knelt, balancing the pole on his shoulder, picked up the bag of excess stone, and started walking away without saying another word to either man.

Toruk called out, "Oh, hey, don't be like that. I was only teasing!"

"Don't bother the big man; let him work. You're finished for the day, anyway, Toruk, better sign out, or the boss man will throw you off this thing. It says that in the charter."

They both laughed again.

Tall, quiet, and scary. Those were usually the three words used to describe Ezeru, the lattermost being based on assumptions tied to the first two descriptions. And because of that, people treat him the way they do most things they're afraid of: Avoiding him entirely, alienating him with jokes and crude comments, or, the least taken choice, trying to understand him. None of this mattered to Ezeru though, or rather, if they did, he never told anyone. Anyone but two people.

He stood at least six foot five, perhaps more. He was clearly physically strong. His arms were very long and thickly muscled. His upper body seemed to form an inverted triangle. Slender at the waist, but growing wider as it gets to his shoulders, which were broad. His head was often seen bent, looking down. Most people were far shorter than him so he didn't need hold his head up often. It's also byproduct of him ducking to avoid banging his head on anything hanging too low for him. The gasa he always wore did little to help in that respect.

The gasa looked like an Earth Kingdom army issued gasa. It has the same color and similar design, but it differed in two ways: it lacked the point at the top and it has roughly a quarter of it missing from the front right side. It was custom made to be that way. If it was damaged in some way, then purposely redecorated to have the missing section integrated into it's design is only known to Ezeru and two other people. Nearly everyone who sees him thinks he was once in the army, yet they figure he isn't seem old enough to have fought in the war. Nonetheless, people say he had to have been in some kind of fight at some point in his life. An assumption reinforced more so by his heavily bandaged right arm.

From the tips of his fingers all the way up to his shoulder, his arm was wrapped. When he walked, or did anything, his right hand was hooked onto the top of his pant. Giving him the appearance of walking with one hand in his pocket, which he actually didn't have. Since it was summer, he wore a sleeveless button down beige tunic with green trim over green pants and sandals. He jet black hair a queue that reached the middle of his back. Unlike traditional queue's, Ezeru didn't shave the front half of his head, allowing it to grow, even allowing short tufts of hair to form bangs occasionally. A choice he was adamant on, for reasons (again) he never told anyone about.

Ezeru was just stepping off the scaffolding when he heard the first crack and heard the shout, "It's breaking loose!". A second, far louder, crack came. Ezeru looked up just as Aang's ear fell off and crashed into the top of the scaffolding and broke through to the next level. The entire scaffolding started shaking, swaying away from the statue! Everyone started shouting and screaming.

"Oh man! It's coming down! Somebody get help!" The statue was nearly 100 feet tall. _Anyone on it when it falls will be… _

Ezeru dropped rocks and jumped over the side. It was a 30 foot drop! The ground rose up as he landed, absorbing the impact. He scanned the scaffold. _There, there, there, and there..._

He reached down and literally ripped up a stone block as large as him out of the ground out of the ground. He stepped back, jumped straight up, then drove his fist into the top, piledriving it back into the floor. Four square pillars, rose out of the ground at an incline, each one to a separate level of the of the scaffolding. "Slide down!" Ezeru shouted to the seven men still on it, Yuan Po and Toruk were among them. The entire scaffolding finally gave way just as the last man slid down. Ezeru shielded himself from the debris and backed away. It kicked up a lot of dust and made it hard to see.

Yuan Po shouted, "Look out! The ear's coming down!"

The heavy stone ear tumbled off the collapsing wooden structure, right above Ezeru! He had time to get out of the way, but he didn't.

When the ear hit, everyone looked away, assuming Ezeru was crushed.

He wasn't.

For the first time since he had been working on the museum construction, he moved his right arm. It was stretched up over his head, holding the ear which was as large as he was. With what seemed like no effort at all, and even less semblance of Earthbending, he set the ear on the ground. His bandaged right arm returned to it's default position of hooked behind his onto his pants.

All eyes were on Ezeru.

Toruk and Yuan Po looked at each other. Toruk asked the question everyone had to be asking themselves, "Ezeru. Why didn't you just get out of the way?"

"Then, you would have had to carve another ear. Was I supposed to let it hit the floor and break?"

**Ezeru's house…**

The long walk home was a familiar one, for reasons beyond the obvious. He was going to have to go job hunting. Again.

Once inside his presence surprised his wheelchair bound mother, the very reason he had a job, and his elderly aunt. His aunt, was busy at the sink washing out the pots and pans she just used, she turned when he walked into the kitchen with a puzzled look on her face. "What's going on? You're home _early_ from work? The last time that happened you were…"

His mother and aunt knew him better than anyone, they could read his face, his eyes. "Oh goodness, what happened?" his mother asked.

Ezeru shrugged. "I saved some people from a giant, falling ear."

"What? You save lives, so they fire you? That's ridiculous."

"There was a construction charter that said-" Ezeru began.

His mother waved that off. "We'll discuss it later, today is a special occasion." She wheeled backwards so he could see the table. They had baked a cake.

His mother said as she wheeled over to hug him, he knelt on one knee so she wouldn't have to hug his waist. "Happy 16th birthday, son!"

"Thank you, mother."

**Next chapter…Chapter 3: The Investigation**


	3. Chapter 2: The Investigation

_Chapter 2: The Investigation_

_**Ba Sing Se, Upper Ring…**_

When the war ended, there was a question that needed to be answered: What to do with the Dai Li? They betrayed their leader and their nation, and directly assisted in Ba Sing Se's capture. Treason, a crime punishable by death, but Avatar Aang stepped in and spoke on their behalf. No, Avatar _Kyoshi _stepped in. For the second time, Avatar Aang channeled Kyoshi.

It was she who created the Dai Li, it was felt that she should be the one to decide how they'd be punished. She decided that the Dai Li would in fact be expanded, rather than disbanded entirely, however the Dai Li members who defected to the Fire Nation, and then subsequently banished by mentally unstable Azula, were branded as traitors and forced to either return to the Earth Kingdom and face trail along with former leader, Long Feng, or remain in the Fire Nation as fugitives from the Earth Kingdom. None of the rouge Dai Li agents were ever heard from again.

As for the new Dai Li's function, they would be spread far outside of Ba Sing Se and into all of the seven Earth Kingdom cities, still under construction at the time. They would still be consist of some of the most well trained Earthbenders in the world, but no longer would they be a "cultural authority." They'd become special law enforcement agents. It wasn't any surprise the public at large resisted this decision, but it was decided that the Dai Li organization, though rebuilt with a wholesale still had a purpose in the Earth Kingdom and with the baby boom, the more people to keep the peace the better. And with time, wounds healed. The Dai Li became security and the agents themselves seemed untouchable, so it came as quite a shock when a Dai Li agent was found slumped against the side of a house, dead of no apparent injury or illness. Only a single trickle of blood came from his mouth.

The area was quickly sealed off. It was just past ten o'clock. The body was discovered by a woman walking her pet poodle monkey.

One officer, just arriving to the scene, asked another, "What's the body's name?"

The mustached, already present, officer blinked twice at how tall he was and at the almost impersonal manner he spoke, using a word like, "body" and not "victim" or at the very least "man." He held up a laminated card. "His ID says he's Laozheng. He was 36. Lived just a few blocks down the street. Must have been heading home after a late night."

The second officer was wearing his uniform's hood over his face. It was the middle of summer, it was very unusual to see someone wearing the winter uniform over his face. He also had both hands in his pockets. "I see. I also see that you have his ID, which means you disturbed his body, correct?"

"Uh, well, yeah, I did. It's standard procedure. We would've have already called for the mortician wagon if not for the-"

"The special order prohibiting disturbing the body in anyway until the special investigator arrives, correct?" The first officer looked like a child with his hand caught in the cookie jar, but he happened to be caught by a very tall person whose voice seemed far too soft for his body. "Please follow orders next time, lieutenant. There was a purpose for them. It interferes with my analysis if the body has been touched more than necessary." He turned slightly to everyone else, who had all stopped and watched this unknown officer reprimand their superior officer.

The lieutenant's expression hardened. "Okay, well, so then who are you"

"Isn't it obvious, lieutenant? I'm the person you've been waiting for."

"He's the special investigator," said a female voice from behind him. The lieutenant turned, shocked. He thought for sure no one was standing there just a second ago. She was wearing a similar uniform to all the officers, but she clearly wasn't any simple policeman. She held hers arms behind her back. The lieutenant thought of only one thing: Dai Li. The lieutenant didn't know of many female Dai Li agents.

"We would've arrived sooner, but we were on the other side of the city when the call came," the former Dai Li agent said.

The special investigator walked up to the lieutenant. "I'm done here. Thank you for your patience, lieutenant. Let's go, Hanori."

The lieutenant was incredulous. "Wait, you make us wait nearly an hour, and you show up, spend five seconds looking at the body then leave?!"

The investigator turned, head slightly tilted to one side. "I've concluded my investigation, lieutenant, did someone say it would take a while? If they did, I'm afraid they lied to you." There was a chuckle in his voice.

He takes a step towards the investigator, he's tall but the lieutenant isn't afraid of someone that skinny. "Look, you pompous-" Hanori slides in front of him, placing a stone incased hand on the lieutenant's chest. She shakes her head slowly.

"It's okay, Hanori." To the lieutenant he says, "I apologize for my hastiness, but I discovered something that troubles me, I really wish to get back and check something in my notes." Hanori didn't move an inch.

"And that something is?"

The investigator, still not revealing his face, paused a bit. "Well, have you noticed that he is a Dai Li?"

The lieutenant's face was turning red with anger. "What? You think I'm an idiot?!"

"Not at all, I'm just trying to call something to your attention. He's a Dai Li agent, and Dai Li are trained a specific way thanks to a special tactic. Hanori in fact has it on pressed against your chest."

It took a second, but it clicked. "The gloves?"

"Yes, they're still on and around his hands." Sure enough, they were.

"What does that mean?"

"Dai Li are trained to meet any threat with their gloves. If he was attacked and was aware of it, he would surely be missing some parts of the glove. But, all the pieces are present and accounted for. That means that the killing stroke was made before Mr. Laozheng was aware of the killer's threat, or perhaps even of the killer entirely."

"What makes you so sure he was killed? There isn't a scratch on him. He could've had a heart attack."

"No heart attack I've ever seen causes bleeding. Unless of course, the heart was ruptured."

"People have been known the bite their lips or tongues. Heart attacks can be traumatizing."

The investigator seemed to ponder that. "Hm…that's something I wasn't aware of. I'll be sure to research it, but I'm more than certain that wasn't the case, at least not entirely. There's a small puncture wound in his chest. See for yourself, it's okay to touch the body now."

Hanori stepped away and the lieutenant walked over to the body and crouched. He parted Laozheng's coat. A small hole right in the middle of his chest. It was a small wound, almost as if done by a pen.

"Well, I'll be damned." He looked to his left. "Send out a message, put all forces on alert. This just became a murder." He turned back to the But, how could he have been stabbed?"

The investigator shook his head. "He wasn't stabbed. Some sort of throwing weapon was used, like a dart or kunai. Whatever did this destroyed the heart almost instantly."

"Kunai? Dart? The wound is perfectly round. What kind of weapon could it have been? A needle?" With a grunt the lieutenant stood to his feet. "Well, that's all that had you troubled?"

"No, it's something else all together."

"What do you mean?"

The investigator shook his head. "All the other slayings were…more personal, done with more suffering involved. This time the one attack killed him instantly. No," he paused. "It's not the first time. It's just like…" His voice trailed off.

"Other slayings? Wait, you aren't saying that…"

He was walking down the alley. "Yes, I believe the murderer is one in the same. The Demon Killer has _returned_ to Ba Sing Se. I wouldn't even bother with a manhunt. I'd say time of death was at least around midnight, he's long gone by now. It's time I left, lieutenant. Take care."

Hanori and the investigator disappeared around the corner. The lieutenant grabbed the back of his neck. "I see why all dead bodies are to be held until he gets there. He's hunting this Demon Killer. Alright, let's get this poor guy down to the morgue. Someone will have to break the news that to his family. And I'm glad it won't be me."

**Several blocks away…**

The investigator, safely out of eyesight from everyone else, stopped and leaned against a nearby street lamp.

"Are you okay, Olan?" Hanori asked. Being his personal assistant the last four years, Hanori was genuinely concerned for Olan's well being. Olan was grateful, she was a strong Earthbender and in the event he came face to face with the mass murder, she could prove invaluable, as well as she had become a good friend of his. One of the only ones he has.

"Just fine, I'm just sweating buckets. Help me out of this," he said has he pulled off his uniform. "And these stilts are hurting my feet." His glasses had fogged up and his dark brown hair was matted, and clumpy.

Olan didn't like the act he had to put on, but it was a necessary step. No one would accept that the lead investigator on such a case could be a just turned sixteen year old boy, barely five-five, wearing thin black rimmed glasses. But, whether the world knew it or not, Olan was the most qualified person for the job. A Ba Sing Se University graduate by 12 years old with a degree in criminology, he had spent the last four years tracking down this _Demon Killer_. Though Olan didn't approve of that name, he felt it accurately described the terrible efficiency the killer, or killers, displayed.

Today makes eighty-five known slayings, and the third this month alone. The murder frequency has increased steadily. As if the killer is gaining some confidence, and that's the only change. It's been so long, and no breaks. He's no closer now than he was those years ago, when the killer first struck. And took the life of the most important person in Olan's life. And Olan _still_ had no answers…

When inside the steam driven carriage, he throw down his stilts.

Hanori turned in his driver's seat. "What is it?"

"They say I'm a genius, but each time that monster kills someone I feel more like an idiot. Eighty-five deaths and still no connection. Doctors, farmers, teachers, low life thugs, the newest victim being a Dai Li agent, and I can't find the common link."

"Doesn't that mean these are random murders, Olan?" He asked as he started the carriage and pulled off the curb.

"No, eighty-four of the victims all had seedy pasts, things their loved ones didn't know about, smuggling, trafficking cactus powder, maybe even having a hand in those _bombings_. They were involved in something, and that seems to be the reason for their deaths. I'm still working on finding out exactly what, they were doing, but it'll take time. But, knowing that there's still no connection."

"What connection? To who?"

Olan slumped in his seat and pressed the side of his head to the side glass window. "You know as well as I do, Hanori. There was nothing seedy at all about my mother. She only wanted what was best for me, and for me to live my own life. She has…she had nothing in common with the scum that have been dying, but the _Demon Killer_ took her life all the same. And what makes it worse is I know no 'evil spirit' is killing these people. It's a person or persons. But, people make mistakes, they aren't perfect. Why isn't this killer making mistake? Why are the clues so ambiguous? Or maybe I'm just not smart enough to make sense of the clues that do exist." Olan sighed, watch the buildings go by, seeing the city just coming to life early in the mourning, oblivious to the death in their city. Death that shouldn't be occurring, that Olan was supposed to be preventing.

"I have to stop this thing, Hanori. I have to."

"And you will, Olan. What do you say about searching for that _other thing_? Who knows, you may get lucky."

Olan smiled. "I'll need luck too. Finding one of those little critters, might be harder than catching 10 Demon Killers." Stopping the murders was Olan's passion, his drive. Bug collecting, however, was his hobby. And just the thing that would brighten his mood.

_**Next chapter…**_

_**Enter Darlo**_


	4. Chapter 3: Enter Darlo

_Chapter 3: Enter Darlo_

**Bull Spider Tavern, Bumi City…**

"So, are you saying you don't find her attractive?" Jieshi, an Earth Kingdom thug, said opening the last game with a three of clubs and a three of diamonds. He and the strange haired Darlo, a Fire Nation born citizen, were the last two players. All the money was on the table for the final game. Everyone present was watching, hovering over the table and watching the two competitors. Jieshi was known as a tough player, but Darlo was putting on a show, finishing first in every game.

They were sitting at the one of the two money corners, the spots in the front corners of the building, where all gambling went on. They were great spots in case the authorities decided to make a bust. They were blocked by an outcropping wall and would block view from just inside the door, and the windows running along both sides of the building allowed for quick escapes.

"No, I'm saying I don't want anything to do with a woman that randomly pulls fish out of her clothes. I mean, what, does she carry fish around all the time, just waiting for an opportunity to attract penguins? She was pretty, but if I hooked up with her and she gets mad, what's she gonna do? Smack me with a mackerel?" Darlo said, playing a four of hearts and four of spades. Card games were all the rage now. Pai Sho remained the most common game, but it wasn't great for gambling, unintelligent people don't grasp Pai Sho's finer points. Card games like kamikaze were easier.

"More like smack you with a water whip, you know she was a master Waterbender, right? That's one lady I wouldn't want mad at me."

Darlo snorted, learning back in his chair. "Master shmaster, I'd wear her out like I'm about to wear all you out." Without leaning forward, He threw over two aces, club and a spade. A high play on low cards.

Jieshi stopped smiling. He stared at Darlo, trying to read him. Darlo's smug expression never wavered and he met Jieshi's stare. Darlo had nine cards left. If Jieshi passed on this play, Darlo could have a straight run that he couldn't match, and allow Darlo to get rid of all his cards. However, Jieshi could beat the two aces with his two deuces, which were wild, one of them being the heart, the highest suit in the game. The only thing could beat his two deuces, was a rare move of four straight sets of two of a kind, as in two fives, two sixes, two sevens, and two eights. It was called "bombing" and was only allowed to be played if deuces were on the table. If Darlo had one of those, he'd automatically win at this point. However, on the other hand, Jieshi had a normal straight run from seven all the way to king. If he plays his deuces and Darlo can't beat it, he can empty his hand and win.

Darlo's voice broke into Jeishi's thoughts. "The game isn't called 'Stare really hard at your opponent', you know." Darlo faked a yawn. "I'd really like to take all your money before I die of old age." That would be quite the feat, indeed for Darlo, who just made seventeen last month, but certainly didn't look it. He had a small frame and he was very thin through the shoulders.

Jieshi smiled, deciding against falling back on his _special move_. "Nice bluff, but I've played this game long before you were born youngin'." He laid the two deuces out, deliberately curling the cards with his fingers so they snapped as they hit the table.

"Got 'im now," someone said nudging Jieshi with his elbow.

Darlo looked annoyed and he shook his head as he sank forward, slightly to the left. "Damn."

"What's wrong, flamer? Giving up already?" Jieshi said confidently folding his arms.

"No, it's just-" He slapped down a special kind of bomb, called the Death Bomb, two aces, two kings, two queens, and two jacks. The rarest bomb there was. "-I was hoping you wouldn't have those deuces, because now it only makes you look bad!" The crowd erupted.

Jieshi slapped the table with his remaining cards, rising out his seat so fast the chair toppled over. "You…!" His clinched fist trembling. Darlo put his feet up on the table, a smirk on his face, and held his arms out, palms up. The "Want to throw down?" pose all too familiar to the few present that knew Darlo best. Jieshi, maybe thinking better of fighting someone known for being good at just that, turned and walked away. "Flamer trash," he muttered under his breathe.

"Flamer" was an epithet used for Firebenders. All the elements had one or two derogatory names, a byproduct of people not enjoying the company of foreigners.

Darlo's ears were sharp. "This 'flamer trash' just beat you at your own game and took all your money. Enjoy the light feeling in your pockets, as you walk back to your boss," he retorted, gathering the money and sliding it off the table into a pouch. The small group dispersed and Darlo's little clique moved in to sit down. There was Qin, a lanky 18 year old from the southern Fire Nation colonies; Zhi, Qin's 16 year old brother not as tall but still lanky; and Akeno, an overweight, homeland Fire Nation born 17 year old who was more commonly known as "Damn it, Akeno" to Darlo and the others.

Zhi reached over and patted Darlo on the side of the shoulder. "Man, that was the best hand I've ever seen anyone get. All four aces _and_ a Death Bomb? You're one lucky guy."

"Luck is just skill you can't control, Zhi," Darlo said bending over. He reached under the table, and produced a small handful of cards, all jacks and higher. "Unless, of course, you _can_ control it. Then it's not luck anymore."

"Whoa! You cheated!" Akeno yelped, jumping in his seat.

"Damn it, Akeno!" Qin grated, jabbing Akeno in the belly with his elbow. "Keep your voice down!"

Some of the roughest people in the Earth Kingdom came to the Bull Spider to get drunk, make unsanctioned bets on the now sanctioned Earth Rumbles and other sporting events, sell stolen goods, or whatever the hot illegal activity was that week. There was a true "honor among thieves" and cheating was not taken well, unless the cheater was a lackey of a well respected crime lord, then they tend to get away with whatever they choose. Normally, a bunch of teenagers weren't allowed in the tavern, but Darlo had _connections_ which allowed him to be there unadulterated.

Darlo smirked. "It's cool. No one will do anything to me."

"What do you mean?" Zhi asked.

"Because these aren't my cards. You know I never cheat. I'd quit doing whatever it is I'm doing if I can't win the legit way. Ol' boy Jieshi was the one cheating."

Qin, who was sitting where Jieshi was moments ago, looked under the table. "Oh, there's a small slot under these tables. So, the entire time he was slipping cards into his hand. But, how did you reach it from _your _side of the table?"

Darlo propped his feet up on the table. Darlo wasn't tall, by _any_ stretch of the imagination; however his body got what height it had from his legs. The same could be said about Darlo's weight as well. His thigh and calf muscles were well toned and thick. Darlo made it a point to wear clothes that showed off his body, so he wore a red vest with gold trim and black pants that stopped just past his knees. Around his ankles and just above his elbows were gold bands. The appearance of being ready for an official Agni Kai, an intentional one. He was also wearing soft, heelless shoes. "You know what I always say, 'These feet of mine are my bread and butter, never let me down once.' Why should this be any different?" Seeing the puzzled look on all their faces, Darlo sighed and put his feet back down. "I did it when I was leaning back. I slipped out of one of my shoes, and took the cards down with my toes."

"That's amazing, man, but how'd you know it was down there?"

"Everyone in here knows Jieshi cheats like it's going out of styles, they just were afraid of his boss, so they never call him out. I watched his hands carefully while keeping my eyes fixed on his face. Not something I recommend doing-" Darlo paused for the few chuckles to pass. "-I noticed he sometimes puts one hand on his lap while getting his cards dealt, and then brings the other one out to collect. The switch is real swift and hard to pick up. He never does it if he sees someone spying on him. I figured he had something under the table, so when I leaned back I felt around and found the cards then grabbed as many as I could between my big toe and whatever the one next to it is called. When I leaned forward and said 'damn', I reached down, took the cards out, realized it was six, replaced the ones in my hand with his, and hey-ho-what-do-you know noticed I happened to have a Death Bomb right in my hand."

Darlo's clique as astounded by Darlo's explanation, and apparently the people at the table weren't the only ones listening in. Two men, most likely pirates, Darlo thought, nodded their approval and raised their mugs, and went back to emptying their drinks.

Cheating was unacceptable, but cheating a cheater was.

Qin shook his head. "So, that means you _were_ bluffing."

Darlo gave a half-shouldered shrug. "Those aces were all I had, the rest was junk. I really _was_ hoping he didn't have those deuces. If I didn't get that Death Bomb, he would've smashed me with that straight."

"Way to live dangerously," Zhi replied.

"It's what I do. Everyone is clear on the plan, right?" They nodded. "Good, good. Won't be too hard anyway."

They sat in relative silence for the next several minutes. Darlo hated waiting, but it was necessary.

"Say Darlo," Qin began, "did you mean what you said earlier?"

"About what?"

"About beating Katara of the Water Tribe in a fight?"

"Akeno, I always mean what I say about a fight."

"But…but how? I mean she beat Azula during the com-"

Darlo scoffed, jerking his head to get his hair out of his face. "Beat her? I read that book. She lucked out because a drain was right there. It was clever, but she was one split second from having an extra hole in her head. Not to mention, Azula was having a mental breakdown. If Azula was on top of her game, Katara wouldn't have lived seven more years only to get killed by _some dude with a hammer_. If I had to fight Katara, I'd just get right in her face. The girl has the hand-to-hand skills of an armless, blind person. Shoot, all Spitters have zero hand-to-hand skills to begin with, so she wouldn't know what to do against someone like me. I'm telling you, I'd knock those hair loopies out of her head."

They all shared a good laugh, which Akeno promptly ruined, in classic fashion.

"Yeah, I like hair loopies." The silence that followed was all too familiar when associated with Akeno.

Darlo sighed, shaking his head. "Damn it, Ake-"

The door was kicked open and a man brandishing a large dao stomped in. He scanned the room then shouted, "Where's Darlo?" Collectively, without even hesitating, everyone pointed to the money corner.

When he rounded the corner, he only found Akeno, Qin, and Zhi laughing and joking, seemingly oblivious to him. "Where is he?" he demanded.

"Where is who?" Zhi asked coyly.

The man cursed and slammed his hilt on the table, cracking it, then turned and headed for the door. He was met by another man, his sword sheathed.

"He's not in there."

"The boss didn't think he'd be," said the other.

_**Around the back of the tavern…**_

_I knew he'd run back crying to his master, idiots are so predictable, _Darlo thought as he peered around the corner and watched two of Zhang Yu's thugs split up. Darlo waited a few seconds, and then jogged up the alley, perpendicular to where the two thugs split off from.

Zhang Yu was Jieshi's employer, a peddler in all kinds of stolen goods. The kind of person common people wished didn't exist and made authorities turn a blind eye with a well timed "donation." No doubt they were after the money he won, Darlo disrespecting Zhang Yu's henchmen was indirectly disrespecting Zhang Yu. It might be enough to draw the guy out into the open. Which was exactly what Darlo wanted. There was something Darlo had to do. More specifically, something he had to _get_.

He could've gone to Zhang Yu, but why hunt for something when you can lure it too you and deal with it on your own terms? And dealing with him around the guys would only get them hurt. Darlo was making sure to keep an eye on his surroundings as he went past. He was still in the back allies. Trash, stray animals, and the occasional beggar aligned the backs of businesses and shops. A couple hundred feet ahead was the market. He could see the people milling about. _Damn, I didn't lose them did I?_

A brief glint of yellow light caught Darlo's eye. _There you are!_

The ground heaved up in front of him! A wall twice his height now blocked his path. Behind him a second wall sprouted, hemming him in. Darlo had at least two ways to get over either, three if he went at them at the right speed and angle. But his aim wasn't to escape. At least not yet.

From both sides of the alley, just in front of the Earthbended wall, Zhang Yu and Jieshi stepped out. Neither was happy. Zhang Yu was unarmed and wore no shoes, while Jieshi had a long sword called a jian. _Zhang Yu is an Earthbender._

"You know, when I envisioned my mourning, being woken up to the sounds of whining wasn't part of my plan. I have a business to run, so I'll ge frank, I take it you're Darlo?"

Darlo was eyeing Jieshi's sword. The way he held it, how he balanced it in his hands. _His grip is terrible. Probably uses it one handed._ He suppressed a smirk. "I am."

"Now, imagine my reaction, when I hear one of my men has been disrespected? If he's disrespected and other people see it, then I'm disrespected. I simply can't have that."

"Don't blame me, he's a terrible cheater."

Jieshi stuck his finger at Darlo. "Shut your mouth, you crazy haired punk!"

Darlo's hair was thick, black hair packed into thick, long strands and tied at the base of his head into a ponytail. A few strands weren't long enough to tie back, and they hung over his face. His unique hairstyle was something he was proud of. Darlo could take insults about his dark skin. He could take insults about his body. But, one thing Darlo didn't take was insulting his hair.

He was planning on getting what he had to get from Zhang Yu and leaving Jieshi alone, relatively speaking, but now he would make sure Jieshi was _also_ spitting up teeth.

Zhang Yu gestured for Jieshi to back down. "So, let's just give us the money, and forget this all ever happened. It's the best I can offer."

Darlo put his hand to his chin, leaning against the wall behind him, pretending to think. He waited a lot longer than he needed, trying to egg the two men off. He waited until Zhang Yu said anything before cutting him off, "To tell the truth, you can have to money." Darlo reached behind him, untied the pouch of money, and threw it on the ground. "I just wanted to get _you_ out here."

Zhang Yu frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Darlo shrugged. "You'll understand after you wake up dazed with a massive toothache."

That made him made Zhang Yu mad, though Darlo didn't think Zhang Yu got the implication. "You're out of your mind. Jieshi cut this little flamer in half."

"With pleasure."

"If you think what's about to happen to you as pleasure, then that makes you a masochist."

Jieshi charged in, swinging the sword laterally, trying quite literally to fulfill his order.

Darlo was already moving, stepping away from the wall, _towards_ Jieshi!

He pivoted on his right foot and snapped his left leg up and around, blocking the swing; pinning Jieshi's arm to the wall.

He twisted his foot against Jieshi's wrist, grinding it against the wall. Jieshi cried out has he let go if the sword.

Jieshi cried out again when Darlo took his foot off Jieshi's arm the same leg's knee into his face. Drops of blood flew from Jieshi's nose and mouth as he toppled over. Jieshi's sword hit the ground with a loud _clank_.

Darlo heard the sound of shifting stones and Zhang Yu grunt.

Acting on pure reflex, Darlo kicked off the wall, just as a large stone came flying. It smashed into the wall where Darlo's head once was, and broke through! Darlo twisted, somersaulting to the ground. He landed on both feet and dashed straight at Zhang Yu!

Zhang Yu punched!

The wave of stone pillars didn't make it _halfway_ out of the ground before Darlo made it to Zhang Yu, cutting the twelve feet of space to nothing in two steps!

Darlo toe kicked Zhang Yu in the stomach with the full force of his momentum, doubling him over!

"_It's on the right side of the jaw."_ Darlo jumped back, whirling around and delivering a heel kick to Zhang Yu's face.

Like Jieshi before him, Zhang Yu was on the ground. From the moment Jieshi first attacked until Zhang Yu was defeated, ten seconds had passed.

The glint of gold on the ground assured Darlo that he hit his mark. Zhang Yu's gold tooth had came out. Seeing the small piece of gold lying on the ground made all the effort he put getting it seem insignificant. He picked it up. "All this for his tooth? Hardly seems worth it."

Zhang Yu groaned. He was tougher than Darlo thought.

"What's going on here?" came a shout from the direction of the market as footsteps echoed through the alley. One of those steps was Darlo's.

Darlo, at half run, rounded the first corner. He looked back over his shoulder, catching a glimpse the wall Zhang Yu Earthbended up being pulled back down-

Darlo ran straight into a statue. It didn't give an inch to his impact as he spun off it and fell to the ground. "Ow! What the…?" He looked up.

It wasn't a statue. At least, Darlo didn't _think _it was a statue. If it was, it was expertly painted and inexplicably dressed in real clothing. The only things stopping him from knowing it was a living person, was that it seemed ten feet tall, and hadn't moved since Darlo bumped into it. The man-statue was staring straight at Darlo, a disturbing almost emotionless stare from green eyes, shaded under a gasa. A gasa with a section of it missing.

"Who did this to you?" The question from the alley snapped Darlo out of his momentary stupor. He climbed to his feet, noticing the man-statue was in fact all man, as he followed Darlo's moments with his eyes. Darlo also saw the man's heavily bandaged right arm. Not wanting to hang around, Darlo broke into a run again, this time not turning to look behind him.

_**Tao's Pawn Shop…**_

Tao's Pawn Shop was just a front. The woman was really a fence/bootlegger for stolen goods. At one point in her life, Zhang Yu was her husband. He got the stolen weapons and she sold them. For reasons Darlo didn't care to know, the relationship soured. Tao believed that Zhang Yu's infamous gold tooth was rightfully hers, seeing as she was the one who bought it for him. Zhang Yu's mouth jewelry had come to identify him in the criminal underground. Darlo figured the move was really about Tao trying to spite Zhang Yu and damage his image. Either way, if it gave him another connection, it was another step closer to finding that "big break to mega fame" Darlo was striving for.

Darlo went inside, stepping through the isles of stuff Darlo knew was all stolen, handed her the tooth, and gave a quick account of how he got it. She picked it up, examined it, then said, "Yep, the genuine article." She plopped a small pouch of money on the counter. "Thank you, come back soon. I may have more work for you." Tao's no frills, all business demeanor was probably why she and Zhang Yu never worked out, Darlo figured. _Not even an ounce of remorse about her ex's busted chops…_

Darlo opened the sack and gave the money a quick count. "Is this it? I had more money when I won the card game!"

Tao who had turned and was feather dusting some swords and other weapons behind the counter said, without turning, "And where that money now?"

Darlo started to answer, then caught himself. "I…I…" he groaned. "I left it on the ground."

"That was a dumb thing to do. Now leave, the cops will be here soon. And bribing cops is harder when suspect is standing six feet away."

Darlo pursed his lips then sighed. "See you around, Tao."

_**Bumi City Grand Train station…**_

Darlo's clique had gathered at the predetermined spot just by the station. Darlo knew he'd have to leave town for a while. Zhang Yu wasn't one of the main crime lords of the city, but he commanded enough respect to have a lot of people looking for Darlo. Something Darlo didn't feel in the mood to deal with, so they would catch a cross-country tram to Ba Sing Se.

"So, what happened to the money from the game?" Qin asked after they took their seats.

Hands locked behind his head, Darlo gave a nonchalant shrug. "Must have fallen off after I kicked Zhang Yu's face in." The guys respected Darlo too much for him to admit to doing something as stupid _giving_ the money away like that.

Akeno, who was busy wolfing down fire flakes, asked between bites, "When will we be back?"

"Isn't the Avatar being revealed two weeks or so from now? I'd say then would be a perfect time. Lots of people will be in town, and they'll have stopped looking for me by then. Not to mention we can check out the whole event in person. Should be interesting."

"Why are they revealing the Water Tribe Avatar in the Earth Kingdom anyway?" Akeno sometimes asked smart questions.

"It's because of that museum to all the Avatars. There's one in each nation, but this one will be finished before the others, so they're supposed to bring him or her down here to make it official."

"If it's a girl, I hope she's hot."

Everyone paused.

Akeno had that look he had when he says something dumb. "What?"

Darlo, staring narrowed eyed, said in a dark voice, "Who are you and what have you done with the real Akeno?" His face broke into a smile. "Because you're right. I hope she's hot too!"

_Next chapter…_

_Chapter 4: The Revealing_


	5. Chapter 4: The Revealing

_Chapter Four: The Revealing_

_**Ba Sing Se…**_

Olan's office doubled as his home. Every piece of information regarding the murders dating back nearly five years was there. He recently moved his insect collection from his old home in Gaoling. It was decided that until Olan caught the Demon Killer, this would be Olan's home. The two story building stood in the shadow of one of the world's newest achievements: skyscrapers.

After the war ended, human resources once devoted to enhancing the war machines in each nation, were turned to enhancing the world. Factories that once built tanks now built steam powered carriages. Ports that once shipped weapons and soldiers, now ship immigrants and goods.

Morale was at an all time high. Soldiers who had spent years away fighting were returning home. Engineers were no longer building weapons and people could sleep easier. This caused the world to erupt in a phenomenon of procreation and innovation known as "The Great Boom." The world's population grew by an estimated 40 in just two years after the war ended. An unprecedented event. The population affect was felt most in Ba Sing Se.

With more and more people being born, even the massive Ba Sing Se needed more space. The walls were considered a key part of Ba Sing Se's culture and the Earth King swore to his people they wouldn't be knocked down ever again. With no room to expand out, that left only one solution: up.

The greatest minds across the nations collaborated on the concept and design, while the greatest engineers worked on the project itself. Metallurgists around the world crafted the materials. Decorators worked on the interior. And even Avatar Aang was consulted about compensating for wind.

After only five years, the first skyscraper finished construction: the 35 story Wei Yun tower. Several more high rising buildings would appear in Ba Sing Se as well as the other cities across the Earth Kingdom and even into the Fire Nation. As of today, 29 buildings above 20 stories tall have been built around the world. Olan was astounded by the rapid growth the world was experiencing. He often wondered if the world could handle it. "Progress was a slow process for a reason." Olan remembered became a heated debate back in college.

It was just under two weeks away from the Avatar's identity being revealed, and Olan was planning on attended. This was a moment the world was waiting for. It was the Earth King's hope that the Avatar's appearance would cause to a halt of these murders. Olan doubted it would be so easy. The Demon Killer operated so efficiently, so methodical in its systematic slaughter, Olan believed the Avatar's appearance alone wouldn't stop the dying. However, collaborating with the Avatar, Olan could perhaps finally stop the deaths. "I think mastering the elements could take a slight backseat to a matter like this," Olan once told Hanori.

Hanori found Olan where she left him. Most people who collected insects only kept their pinned down carcasses, but Olan preferred to keep them alive.

He liked to touch and hold them while they were still moving.

He was sitting in his chair with a different bug in his hands now. She jerked in surprise when she recognized it.

"Olan!" She ran over to knock the deadly animal off his hand, but Olan jerked away from her, raising his feet to block her.

"Hey! What are you doing? It's just the exoskeleton!"

Hanori's brow furrowed. "The what?"

"It's skin. This is just the skin. I know better than handle a Blue-fanged Spider-snake like that. You know that too."

She sighed. "Sorry, it's just you've been so distraught and down on yourself lately. I thought you-"

"-were suicidal?"

"No! I-"

"It's okay. I just needed to gather my thoughts, take my mind off the investigation for a bit. So, I came in here and saw the green fang had shed and gone underground. It's the closest I can get to actually holding it. Trust me, Hanori; even _if _I wanted to kill myself, a Blue-fang's bite is _not_ the way to do it." He held it up, letting the light hit it. "Even their empty husks are beautiful," he said to himself.

Hanori couldn't understand it, but Olan truly loved these things. Once he told her that they were, "The perfect life forms. They always do what they're supposed to do. Every time. Each one has its place in the world and they never complain or try something different for its own sake like us humans. They've lived eons before us, and will probably live eons after. If that isn't perfection, I don't know what is."

Yet, even though Olan claimed he was taking his mind off of the murders, Hanori felt, no, she _knew _they were all Olan thought about. Feeling she had to do more than just stand around, Hanori decided to at least humor Olan with some questions about his next favorite subject.

"So, why does Blue-fang's exit, uh, exoskeleton, look like the, original…you know…"

Olan smiled; he knew what she was doing. "They do it because their bodies are growing. Unlike us who support our bodies on the inside with bones and muscles, insects are the opposite. Their hard outer shell doesn't grow as they do, so they have to shed their skin. Tossing out the old and used up, for the more mature and…" His voice trailed off and his eyes narrowed, darting around. His face suddenly brightened the look of someone who just had a revelation. It was a look Hanori knew well; it was just a matter of getting Olan to say anything. When he got like this, his mind going a mile a minute, he had a tendency to stop talking. Still, she'd at least try to find out. But, before Hanori could ask what had happened, Olan sprang out of the seat and ran into his office. Hanori followed.

Olan started gathering all of his notes he'd made about the investigation from off the wall and off his tables. He was moving fast, throwing everything into a pile on a floor rug.

"Olan?"

He rapidly shook his head. "Uh-uh. Uh-uh." His eyes filled with excitement. Hanori felt obligated to help somehow, but she didn't know what he was doing. So, she just stood and watched him finish.

After working up a quick sweat, he grabbed the corners of the floor rug and tied them together. He dragged the rug out the door and to the street, leaving it at the curb for trash pick up. When he came back inside, he was slightly damp with sweat and breathing hard. He flopped in his desk chair. The excited, joyful look in his eyes never wavering. His glasses briefly fogging up.

Hanori waited, thinking Olan might provide some sort of explanation, but when he continued to sit staring into space, she finally asked the question: "What are you doing?"

The flurry of thought trance Olan was in ended when he blinked back into reality. "Huh?"

"What are you doing, Olan?" She said again, trying not to lose her patience.

Olan's grin grew wider. "I'm shedding my skin, Hanori."

She frowned. "Like that spider snake?"

"Exactly. All those notes and conclusions I came to, they've been the structure of my investigation for all this time. My exoskeleton. But, those notes, those conclusions, they were made by a twelve year old boy. Sure, only four years have passed, but still I'm wiser now. It's time for a _new _exoskeleton."

"So, you threw away all your old notes?"

"You were watching, weren't you?"

"Okay. What are you going to do now?"

"What else? Make new notes."

"For each murder?"

"Absolutely. I only threw away everything I wrote after each murder. I still have all my evidence logs and-"

"Olan, you realize how long it will take to redo the whole investigation, don't you?"

Olan paused. "Not exactly, but I've already said I'd go for as long as it takes. If that means backtracking a bit, so be it." He turned around in his seat and faced the map of the Earth Kingdom. There were eighty-five thumbtacks on various parts of the map. He plucked all but one tack off.

She grabbed the bridge of her nose. _This was more than backtracking a bit,_ she thought. "Aren't you going to take that one down?"

Olan's look softened and he readjusted his glasses on his face. "No. I remember everything about that murder. I don't need to reinvestigate it. Twelve years old or a hundred and twelve years old, that's one part of this exoskeleton that I can't shed."

Without missing a beat, Olan pulled out a folder about the second recorded murder by the Demon Killer. "Okay. Lin Toho, female, 28 years of age. Found…"

As Olan recited the report, Hanori came to the realization that if he really intended to go back over every single case the same way he went over the first, there was no way they'd make it to the Avatar's revealing and the special invitation she was keeping as a surprise was useless. Hanori decided not to tell Olan this. This was the first time in a long time she saw him genuinely smile. Olan felt motivated again. Hanori wouldn't do anything to stop that. She couldn't.

_**Two weeks later, Bumi City…**_

Ezeru's job search was a failure to this point. Ezeru's less flattering tendencies were showing themselves now. Like his tendency to break chairs not sturdy enough for him to sit in or to put dents, and even holes, in walls. His mother told him he didn't have to work, but it was something Ezeru became insistent upon. He simply wouldn't allow himself to do nothing. He _had_ to do something constructive. But, for today, his search would be on hold.

Today was the event the world was waiting for. The Avatar's identity would be announced. Ezeru, his mother, and his aunt were all going to attend. It seemed like the entire world was attending, in fact. Walking to the museum pushing his mother's wheelchair would've been a difficult task in the choked streets, so they took Ezeru's work route, which meant a slightly longer walk, but was free of visitors.

Originally, Bumi City was a just a small western Earth Kingdom town called Okano. When the plans to expand came, to avoid strife with the long time residents, it was agreed by the government that the old town wouldn't be altered in any way. So, what was now called the District of Okano was more rundown and appeared significantly older than the rest of the city. It was also where Aunt Meng's Diner was located. It, like every other store in the city, was closed. In truth, the District of Okano was mostly empty of everyone, not just visitors. The city was shut down for the announcement. Ezeru couldn't help but wonder if any other Avatar's identity reveal was more anticipated than this one. He doubted it.

_**Dragon Fang Hotel…**_

Despite being partially blocked by the larger hotel next door, the museum was still visible from the top floor of the 20 story hotel. It suited a person wishing to few the festivities from afar perfectly. The big moment was about to arrive, and one person in particular eagerly awaited the Avatar to be revealed, but for an entirely different reason than all those people down on the ground. They wanted the Avatar to be brought into the world. The man in this hotel room wanted the opposite.

When the new Avatar walked through the museum doors, a man wearing Yu Yan Archer face paint would open this window and put an _arrow _through the Avatar's neck.

He smiled at the thought. He had everything he needed; all that remained now was patience.

_**Ground level, on the balcony of a restaurant…**_

"Awww, I can barely see anything." Akeno groaned as he shielded the sun from his eyes, trying to see the museum in the distance. The restaurant was as packed out as the plaza square everyone was gathered on.

"Tough luck," Darlo said yawning. "This is as close as we'll get. We've got binoculars; we'll get a look at the Avatar when he shows up."

"Or she, don't forget it could be a girl."

Darlo shook his head. "You're hopeless, Akeno."

"Hey, you all want it to be a woman too."

"Sure, but you're almost obsessing about it," Zhi replied. "It's all you've talked about the past two weeks."

Qin joined in. "It's a good thing we're so far away. If the Avatar is a hottie, Akeno might rush the stage."

The guys laughed, but Darlo's mind was elsewhere. Darlo was right _and _wrong about Zhang Yu. He'd gone to see Tao once he got back in town. He was right that Tao wanted to take Zhang Yu's tooth to hurt his image and respect, but Darlo was wrong that Zhang Yu would get the whole city to look for him.

Darlo's kick gave Zhang Yu a concussion and he couldn't remember who attacked him. Zhang Yu barely remembered his own name. As for Jieshi, his condition was significantly worse. Zhang Yu inadvertently _killed _him.

Zhang Yu's second attack, that Darlo dodged, hit Jieshi instead. Now, instead of hunting down Darlo, Zhang Yu was in jail under suspicion of murder. Only Tao knew exactly what happened and she had no reason to tell the police. She even gave Darlo some extra money before leaving to go see the new Avatar herself.

So, yet again, Darlo got off scot-free, and this time he was even rewarded.

That should have been enough to put his mind at ease, but it didn't. It was because Darlo almost _always_ seemed to come away unscathed in every dicey situation he got in. Nobody was perfect, and Darlo certainly wasn't, that much he knew. Screwing up just came with the territory, when Darlo was concerned. So, whatever luck, good fortune, positive karma, or whatever those mystic nuts called it that Darlo had, eventually it would run out.

But, then again, why should Darlo worry? He should enjoy that things were falling in place, not wring his fingers waiting for everything to turn to the crapper. _Enjoy life while you're alive, Darlo._

"What's so funny?" Qin asked as he noticed Darlo was smirking.

"I am, Qin." Darlo jerked his chin in the direction of the museum. "It looks like they're done with the lame opening festivities. The main event is here." For a while now, a few Fire, Earth, and Waterbenders were performing a choreographed routine. Waterbenders and Firebender faking a fight, while they were lifted up and down on pillars with frilly waves of rock moving all about. Darlo was unimpressed.

Akeno stuffed in the remainder of his food in his mouth, and whipped around to the balcony railing. "Oh boy!"

_**Front of the crowd…**_

"That was a pretty little display," Ezeru's mom, Giala, said. They arrived from the side of the plaza square, just near the front of the crowd. No one objected to Ezeru pushing his mother to the front of the museum. Ezeru wasn't sure why, but he wasn't going to complain, not that he was the type to complain anyway.

Ezeru's aunt, Wu Lin, snorted. "Feh, you call that bending? Looked more like a dance routine to me. That kind of trash is a mockery."

Giala shushed Wu Lin. "The Water Tribe ambassador is ready to speak."

Seventeen seats were on stage. There were five from the Fire Nation, one of which was Fire Lord Zuko's; five from the Earth Kingdom, including the Earth King's; and five from the Water Tribes, with both the Southern and Northern Water Chiefs present. The last two seats were empty. Ezeru knew the one in the middle was for the newly announced Avatar, but he didn't know who the last seat was for. It was near the Earth King's seat.

Wu Lin grumbled something to herself. She didn't like all the walking and wanted to stay home, but her little sister always had a knack for talking her into doing things with her. She turned to Ezeru, "You agree with me right, nephew? Nephew?"

Ezeru wasn't listening to her. He was staring at one of the people on stage. He'd never seen any of the ambassadors or the nation leaders before, but he knew the ambassadors acted as representatives for the people of the three nations. Every nation had two from the other nations, while a head ambassador resided in the Earth Kingdom. Ezeru wasn't sure exactly what they did, but he didn't care enough to find out. At the moment, one man on stage had all of Ezeru's attention.

There was something about the well dressed, clean, shaven man barely into his 40s. A feeling Ezeru got from looking at him that he didn't like. He had similar feeling a few weeks ago when a small, strange haired teenager bumped into him. One that made him almost feel…threatened. A sense of foreboding. But, it was worse than that other time. This time Ezeru felt a cold chill run down his spine.

A different man than the one Ezeru was looking at walked to the podium. "People of the Earth Kingdom! Fire Nation! Water Tribe! As you may or may not know, I am Water Tribe Ambassador Rhukoda." His voice echoed throughout the entire plaza, because of a new invention, the sonicus microphone. (A newly discovered crystal called sonicus, also known as "the deaf miner's rock", is melted with copper and wrapped in another new substance made from trees called rubber to form wires. Any and all sound fed into one end, comes out the other. A grated, metal nub is placed as a cap on the side someone speaks through. If a pure sonicus crystal is in range of the other end, the sound is amplified based on the amount of sonicus crystal present. The difficulty with sonicus lies in it's constantly active state where loud noises cause massive bursts of sounds, in most cases blowing out eardrums. But, in a fit of ingenuity, the pure crystal is kept in a specially crafted box that muffles incoming sounds, yet leaves out going sounds unaltered.)

"The identity of the Avatar, for the first time ever, has been kept a secret from everyone but the Water Sages. That means only five people in the world know who the Avatar is. But, no longer! People of the world, I present to you-" he stepped aside, hand gesturing to the doors Ezeru had walked through frequently for nearly three months. "-the Avatar!"

_**Dragon Fang Hotel…**_

_I must remember to thank whoever came up with those sound boxes. Because to those, I'll know for certain if I hit or not._

The bow was half taught, and the white arrow quivered slightly as the archer held the bow down, ready to raise and shoot any moment. He could almost _feel_ the arrow's anticipation. But, he knew that anticipation was all felt within him. The arrow felt nothing, even though it was no ordinary arrow.

The spiraling grooves etched into it would allow the arrow to take a special route to the Avatar. The building directly adjacent to the hotel blocked any direct route to the front of the museum. This was just as the archer wanted. The arrow would _curve_ around the building. There would be no way to pinpoint where the arrow came from, and even if they could, it would look like it came from a completely different building!

The sheer difficulty of the shot made him smile again. Not only did the building block a direct line to the front of the museum doors, but it blocked direct _sight_ of the doors entirely. All he could see was a small triangle of brown in the distance, the bottom left corner of the museum doors.

He had practiced the shot in the woods from on top of a cliff with a tree as a target. For weeks he'd perform the shot, making sure to split the first arrow with the next. He'd done the shot so many times, he could do it blindfolded. Again, just as the archer wanted.

This was a _rare_ opportunity for assassin archery. Often the area ventured was unknown and spots were chosen on the fly. But, not this time. He had a perfect chance to test himself. He knew his _father _could make the show, and would most likely choose the same spot as well. How could he be worthy of such a great man's bow if he choose an easy shot? A straight away shot was child's play, but this? It would take perfect timing. He felt confident in his skill and aim. He'd wait for when he saw the tip of the Avatar's shoe. Even the wind wasn't a factor. The archer could _sense _the wind even from inside the building. It was calm and no sudden gusts would come.

There was still only one potential pitfall in his shot. One so simple it ridiculous, but it could mean everything.

How _tall _was the new Avatar?

If the Avatar was far taller or shorter than he practiced, the arrow would miss over their head or strike them in the right arm. Both complete failures. This archer wanted a neck shot, an excruciating place for an arrow to hit. The blood flows steadily and death is a slow and agonizing one. Even a top tier Water Tribe healer wouldn't be able to save the Avatar's life. But, unlike lucky arrows that found gaps in amour or a crease in a fortified wall, luck was-

"-people of the world, I present to you, the Avatar!" The Water Tribe ambassador was talking, the archer missed the first few words, but the _one _he was waiting for arrived. His bow was at ready before the second syllable of "Avatar" was uttered. _As soon as the door opens…_

_**Balcony of the restaurant…**_

Everyone, even Darlo was leaning on the railing. Waiting for the doors to open, which…hadn't opened yet?

"Akeno? You see anyone?" Darlo asked.

Akeno adjusted the sight of the binoculars, then groaned. "No, nothing. What's taking so long?"

_**Front of the crowd…**_

The crowd started getting anxious. Ambassador Rhukoda turned, hand over the microphone. He looked like he was about to have a heart attack. Everyone on stage looked upset and confused. The man that gave Ezeru a bad feeling was scowling at Rhukoda. Rhukoda helplessly shrugging, saying he had no idea what was happening.

The sharp cry of a bird turned all eyes skyward as a large messenger hawk swooped in. No, not swooping in. It wasn't slowing down. It was diving, practically in freefall!

Rhukoda shouted, "By the spirits, that's from the Northern Water Tribe!" He jumped back as he realized if he didn't, the bird was going to land on his head. It crashed into the stage with an impact that killed it instantly. Its lifeless body bounced and slid, heading straight for the man Ezeru was staring at. He stopped it with his foot. Without any care for the bird, he snatched off the message tied around its leg. Everyone on stage moved in close to read it.

They all had the same shocked reaction. Except the chilling man who first picked up the message. He only grew angrier.

"What does it say?" asked someone in the audience.

As a few people sank back and fell into their chairs, stunned, the man still holding the message handed it to Rhukoda and pushed him to the microphone.

Rhukoda looked like all the pressure was going to make him _explode_. He gulped with what had to be a dry scratchy throat. "Uh…ladies and gentlemen, I…I regret to tell you…but…in what appears to be a letter from the Water Tribe dated _two weeks ago_…uh…the identity of the Avatar is…" He couldn't find the words. Like they weren't written on the piece of paper in front of him.

"Tell them, Rhukoda!" the man Ezeru was watching grated in a voice the only made Ezeru feel…more hostile.

Rhukoda was sweating rivers. "The Avatar…has not been revealed to the Water Sages."

_**Dragon Fang Hotel…**_

If the bow wasn't the most valuable thing in the world to him, he would have thrown it out of the window. All that planning. All that preparation. All for nothing! Once again, it felt like the Avatar cheated him. Cheated his _father_! For the first time in nearly an hour, he sat back down on his hotel room bed. His back rubbed against the warm, sleeping body of the reason he was even in a fancy hotel room like this.

She would sleep for another five hours at the least thanks to the Shirshu spit he put in her drinks the night before. A bomb could go off, but without the smelling oils, she would sleep through it. It was necessary. She didn't know what he was really there to do. And she didn't need to.

He hadn't slept at all since he laid her in bed last night. They still had another day in the hotel, so he figured they may as well stay the rest of the time. She'd be upset that she slept through the whole event she was waiting for, but it was a moot point since the Avatar didn't show up.

Now, _both_ of them would be disappointed.

He packed his bow and the lone white arrow, which he spent his time making sure it would blend with in the clouds and fly undetected until it was far too late, into a secret compartment in his luggage.

He wiped the Yu Yan face paint off with a towel and laid down.

_The Avatar would've only been a start, anyway. Now, I can continue with finding other targets. Maybe I should finish the job those Ozai loyalists started, by killing Fire Lord Zuko…_

_**Restaurant balcony…**_

"Awwwwww! What a rip!" Akeno griped. The crowd had the same reaction as they stormed off. Most were staying behind, yelling at Ambassador Rhukoda on the stage, demanding an explanation for how this could have happened. It was a riot waiting to happen. Dai Li agents had moved in on crowd control, keeping them away from the stage.

"They're gonna _rip_ that man apart," Darlo joked.

_**Front of the crowd…**_

"This is ridiculous! How could you let this happen?" Wu Lin shouted, shaking her fist. Ezeru crouched, shielding his mother, he wanted to leave now. But, the crowd was pushing against Ezeru's back.

The Dai Li agents had bent up a small waist high wall blocking the way Ezeru had come, though for him it was only mid-thigh high. The only way out was out the back of the plaza square, but until everyone behind Ezeru left, they were stuck.

The multiple dignitaries on stage were shouting too. Angry about the Water Tribes delayed messenger hawk. Rhukoda and the man Ezeru still couldn't seem to stop staring hard at, were pointing out that the bird must have gotten caught up in a storm and lost its sense of direction. They claimed that it only would take five days for a hawk this size to fly from the Northern Water Tribe to the Earth Kingdom. But, then what about the hawk going to the mueseum in Bumi City and not the Earth King's palace? Was it only coincidence it arrived _the day_ the Avatar was supposed to be revealed? Rhukoda decided to address the crowd again, only after being nearly shoved back to the microphone.

"The Water Tribe is deeply dishonored and offers it's most sincere apologies. As soon as the Avatar is revealed we will-"

Ezeru was blinded by a white flash and felt intense heat. The split second before everything around Ezeru went dark, Ezeru saw Water Tribe Ambassador Rhukoda being blown apart!

_Next Chapter:_

_Chapter Five: The Confusion _


	6. Chapter 5: The Confusion

Chapter Five: The Confusion

_**Restaurant Balcony…**_

Darlo only wanted a close look when he took the binoculars from Akeno. He felt no special reason too; he just wanted to see if that Water Tribe ambassador was torn apart. His eyes were drawn to something. A tall man in a gasa was standing directly in front of the stage. A gasa with a piece of it missing. Darlo remembered it. It was the same man he bumped into before.

_Why would a guy like him be in front of the crowd? _Darlo wondered.

Something else caught his eye. To the left of the stage, Darlo's right, he saw a figure peering from the side of some building. He was wearing a mask up to his eyes. He was looking on stage. Darlo swung the binoculars back on stage as Ambassador Rhukoda was shoved to the podium. When Darlo looked back at the masked mystery man…he was gone!

"Where'd he go?" Darlo wondered aloud as he looked back at Rhukoda. It was just in time to see it happen.

Rhukoda was saying something about how sorry the Water Tribe was when _white fire_ burst from his mouth! The light was so bright, it made him drop the binoculars as he reeled back in pain. Before Darlo could even finish the curse he shouted, Rhukoda's body erupted in a large, white fireball!

Everyone, in the crowd and on the balcony, dropped to the ground, crying out. The fire ball rose into the air and vanished in a cloud of smoke. The crowd threw into a frenzy. Everyone rushing to get away from the stage, which was almost totally reduced to a smoldering pile of wood. If all the nation's dignitaries hadn't stepped off the stage just before hand, they would've all been killed. The damage in front of the stage was just as bad. A few Dai Li agent's who had set up a barricade to keep the angry crowd at bay were caught in the blast, their bodies barely recognizable. The explosion no doubt killed anyone and everyone in the crowd directly in front of the stage. _Including Mr. Tall and Gasa'd…wait, what's that?_ Just in front of the stage was something that looked like a small boulder. Darlo couldn't tell, he wished he held onto the binoculars. It was in the same spot where the tall man was before. _Where'd that come from? The explosion?_

"Holy crap! Did that guy just freaking explode!?" Akeno shrieked. "We have to get out of here!"

"A white explosion. Yeah, it's got to be that bomber! He's attacking people now!" Zhi was shaking.

The bomber. Darlo had heard stories of sections of buildings mysteriously exploding with no blasting jelly residue left. It was unknown how it was done or what explosive was used. Thanks to the books of Avatar Aang, the world knew about the assassin known as Combustion Man. Police thought it might be him, even though it the books said he blew himself up, no one ever found a body. So, there was an outside chance he survived.

However, there were never any reports of the two pre-explosion pops that happened as Combustion Man sent out his beam of super heated air. The only reports were of a bright flash of light followed by an explosion. The purpose of the destruction itself pointed more too vandalism than assassination. The death toll was low to nonexistent and normally only involved public buildings or empty powered carriages. Darlo remembered talking about the bomber with the guys. He had said that between the Demon Killer and this bomber, the Earth Kingdom had its hands full of nut jobs doing bizarre things.

Darlo's thoughts went back to the masked person who had disappeared. _Just before the explosion…_

Darlo stood up, and looked around him. Right next to the restaurant, which was quickly emptying as people were running away like a flood from a broken dam, was another building. Some steamed carriage accessory store. From there all around the left side of the square were buildings. All fairly close together, only a few feet separating each rooftop.

Qin tugged on Darlo's arm. "Darlo, we've got to get out of here. Who knows if he'll strike again," Qin pleaded.

Darlo shook his arm free and backed up, pressing his back against the railing. The rooftop of the balcony was roughly eight feet off the ground. Tables were all over the balcony. "Go on, you guys. Get to the hideout. There's something I have to do."

"Do what? Wait, you aren't going to…oh no, you can't be-"

"Of course, I am. Mega fame is one right kick away, so I'm going to find the _right person _to kick." Not waiting for them to beg him to stay, Darlo sprang forward. He jumped on the first table he came to, jumped again and went from one table to another. He came to the edge of the restaurant rooftop and hopped straight up when he came to the balcony, grabbing the edge with both hands. He chinned himself up and over and ran to his left, to the accessory shop.

For the first time in a long time, Darlo ran with he called his "good speed". He didn't dare go faster; the slanted roofs made each step a tricky one. One loose roof tile and he'd tumble off and be in for a 20 foot drop. He came to the first gap and leaped. It was a close gap and he made it with no problem. _Couldn't have gotten far, if Mr. Mask is the bomber, he could be the big break I'm waiting for…_

The thought of being wrong about the masked person, or the fact that if he was right, he would have to beat a person that could blow people up, never registered as deterrents. To Darlo, it only meant that he'd have to be a little more careful. Darlo has never lost a fist fight, and if worse came to worse, no one could catch him if he turned and ran away. There wasn't any risk for Darlo. Not from how he saw things.

_**Dragon Fang Hotel…**_

Sleep was just creeping into Mitsuro's eyes when he saw the white flash. He snapped out of bed and ran to the window, his girlfriend, Rei, didn't stir. She was still under the influence of the Shirshu's saliva.

He saw the plum of white flame rise into smoke. The stage was destroyed and bodies were strewn all in front of it. From his vantage point, he could see beyond to the left side of the museum. Being an archer who specialized in long range shots, having a sharp eye for long distance was crucial. Mitsuro had such eyes. And he saw a person running away in an alley. They were too far down to have run from the explosion when it happened, not at that speed. They would've been too shocked, they'd be closer. _But, not unless they knew the explosion was coming…_

Mitsuro threw his clothes back on. He was going to go down there. He opted not to reapply his face paint. He had no need. He wasn't going to strike a blow in the name of his father, of the Yu Yans. It was personal.

Someone wanted the Avatar dead too. There wasn't a doubt in Mitsuro's mind about it. An explosion at what was supposed to be the Avatar's revealing? No chance of coincidence. Killing the Avatar was _his _pledge. _His _mission. No one would take that from him. Not if he could help it.

He slid his suitcase from under his bed, opened the secret compartment, and removed his bow, quiver, and harness. He'd leave the white arrow behind. He wouldn't have any need for it.

The penthouse floor in the Dragon Fang hotel was expensive, but money was no longer an issue. Rei was the lucky recipient of a large inheritance from her family after her sixteenth birthday last year. It was this money that allowed them to stay on a floor that was supposed to be closed. The Dragon Fang was constructing a 21st floor. The roof was being converted into a patio, and no one was supposed to stay in the penthouse.

But, some extra money on the bill managed to put the work on hold. Which was perfect. Because now Mitsuro had an escape route in the unlikely event the shot to take the Avatar's life missed. He was positive he wouldn't miss, but assumptions, not matter how valid the foundation, were a sure way to end up dead. To end up failing.

There was no one in the hallway or on the 21st floor. He had taken the necessary precautions, asking for no wake up calls for the revealing or that he and his girlfriend were not to be disturbed for any reason except emergency. Almost on cue, Mitsuro heard knocks on the door. A staff member making sure no one was the penthouse now. There was a click as the door was unlocked. Mitsuro was glad he moved Rei's still sleeping body. If she somehow woke up, she'd probably be terrified. Waking up stuffed in a closet when you went to sleep in a comfortable bed would have that affect on a girl.

Mitsuro couldn't worry about that. He'd have to move quickly. He ran to the edge of the roof. The quick sense of vertigo came over him as he looked over the side of the 200 foot tall building. He willed it away. His escape just where he last saw it.

A long tube ran along the length of the building. Construction workers used it to dispose of waste. They drop it in the tube and it falls down into a trash bin. For Mitsuro, it was a faster way to the ground.

He took a breath, shifted his bow to the front of his chest, and jumped in. Two seconds into the fall he realized he was falling too fast. The tube didn't resist him as much as he thought it would. He flayed out his legs and arms. They dug into the fabric, slowing his fall. The friction causing his arms to burn, he knew if he stopped he'd increase in speed so he gritted his teeth. Pain came with the job.

He saw the trash bin rushing to meet him. He braced himself for the impact and….he was free!

_Damn!_ His feet caught a too much of the tube and he was unbalanced coming out, his legs weren't under him anymore. He nearly landed face first into the pile of wood and metal, but he stopped himself with his arms. He felt his breathe whoosh out, all around him dust kicked up. Breathing only made him cough, so he held his breathe for a moment. He had closed his eyes on impact. When he opened them, a metal spike was centimeters from his eye. He was that close to instant death.

Mitsuro straightened up, looking back up the tube chute, and then climbed out. He was in a supply lane for the hotel. He saw some people on either side of the building. No one had noticed him fall. Straight ahead of him, was his second most valuable possession.

Mitsuro hid it with some boxes and a tarp the hotel was throwing away. He knocked away the boxes and pulled the tarp off. The sun was just peeking over the edge of the larger building next to the hotel. The smooth silver gleamed. The two treaded tires still polished since he last cleaned it. It was one of few machines like it in the world. Jei loved it as much as Mitsuro did. She loved riding behind him through her hometown, weaving between the slower carriages.

Steam powered carriages were popular, but they were slow, clunky, and not fit for long distance travel. They rarely to never venture beyond city limits. Anyone who owned one was just too lazy to walk, Mitsuro felt. It wasn't much faster than walking in any case. He understood using trams for long distance, but anyone who needed to travel a few blocks was just another example of what was wrong with this "new world" Avatar Aang created.

This new machine, the motorcycle, was everything those carriages weren't. It was sleek. It was built to travel. But, most of all, which suited Mitsuro greatly, it was fast and nimble. Mitsuro threw his leg over the leather seat, raised the kick stand, and throttled it up.

The rumble of the engine assured him it was still working alright. With a squeal of tire on stone, the cycle burst forward. He leaned when he came to the end of the alley, turning towards the square. A few people in the way jumped aside. They would either move or be moved.

The streets were mostly empty now, everyone retreating to "safety", which was a false notion when as far as those people knew, the causer of the explosion could be one of them. _Perfect, no delays now._ Whoever made an attempt on the Avatar's life would answer to Mitsuro. But, if this is the bomber he had heard of, he'd need to act very carefully.

_**Darkness…**_

Dead.

Was Ezeru dead?

He didn't know.

All around him blackness.

His ears.

They ached. A constant ringing.

His own heartbeat echoing in his head like the beat of a drum. Heartbeat? If he had a heartbeat…

No, he wasn't dead.

He tried to move, his hand banged against something. Something hard.

The ringing faded. Now he heard voices. Someone calling his name.

"Wake up, son! Please, somebody help!" Giala! She was shouting, but her voice was being muffled. She was surrounded by darkness too!

A cough. "He's still knocked out. Stop talking, or you'll use up all our air." It was Wu Lin; she was there too, on his left.

"But, you're talking too."

The area where Ezeru hit his head cracked. A peak of light shined through the darkness. Ezeru felt a small pebble hit him in forehead. Stone, it was stone. A stone dome was covering him, Giala, and his aunt like a blanket.

"Mother? Aunt Wu Lin?" He tried to look to his right, but his gasa was wedged against the back of the dome.

"Son! You're awake?"

"Oh, of course he's awake. How else can he talk to you?"

"Cover your eyes."

Ezeru covered his own eyes and punched. The dome crumbled. The outside was brittle, weakened by the heat.

Everyone sat up, shaking the dust out of their eyes and face. Wu Lin was still coughing. Ezeru squinted and looked around as he gingerly wiped his face, trying to avoid getting anything in his eyes. It was like someone had dropped black ash all around him. The stage was charred rubble. All around him were bodies. Just in front him, was the blackened corpse of a Dai Li agent. All caught in the blast. People who had come to a joyous event would never see their loved ones again. What was about a new era became a massacre.

"This is…horrible." Giala said shaking her head, a heavy grimace on her face.

Ezeru didn't feel sickened by this like he knew his mother was. It was remorse, with a bare glint of anger. _How did this happen? Who would do this? This…senseless violence?_

A few Waterbenders had shown up, dosing the smoldering piles. One noticed the only three survivors of the people standing directly in front of the stage.

"I can't believe it. Hey! Over here!" He waved over some help.

As they helped Wu Lin to her feet, Ezeru noticed that his mother's wheelchair was bent, but still usable. Wu Lin went into a coughing fit. When she stopped the man who first noticed them bent a small circle of water out of his water skin. "Drink this. It's okay, it's clean." Wu Lin drank it. "Now breathe."

She exhaled. She looked puzzled for a moment, and then said, "That's much better. Thank you, young man."

He smiled a little and nodded. "It's my job. Let's go by the wagon and let our healers check you guys out."

With hands coated in glowing water, three women waved their hands over their bodies, checking for internal injuries. After checking the rest of his upper body, the healer asked Ezeru to remove his gasa. Even sitting on the edge of the wagon, Ezeru's head was too tall to reach. He bent down.

"Oh, you're bleeding. You took quite a forehead." She felt the back of his head. "Oh, and here too."

She wiped away the blood with a towel pressed her water coated hand to the wound. She breathed. Ezeru felt the front and back of his head cool.

"There you go." She moved to his right arm. Ezeru's bandaged arm.

Ezeru stopped her, covering arm where her hands were. His movement was sudden and he bumped her with his forearm. "Forgive me. That arm is fine."

"That's…okay." She seemed confused about something as she bent the water back into her water skin. "Well, okay, you're all okay, big guy. Aside from that bump, no broken bones or any damage."

"Thank you, very much." Giala said, bowing in her chair. "Let's go home," she said to her son and sister.

"This is the last time I let you talk me into doing anything, Giala!" Wu Lin snapped. "Nearly got us all killed!"

Giala sighed. "It's not the time or the place for that, Wu Lin. Thank you for saving our lives, son. That was amazing."

"Yeah, I don't know who taught you to do that."

"Me either," Ezeru replied.

"What do you make of it?" One healer asked the healer who took care of Ezeru.

"I don't have a clue. They were point blank weren't they? But, they aren't even singed."

The Waterbender who found Ezeru sauntered over. "I found them climbing out what we all thought was some boulder. The big one must have bent that around himself and his family."

"But, when?"

He looked back at the stage. "Before the explosion? I don't know."

"It had to be right? I mean, only a master has the kind of reaction time to do it _during_ the explosion."

"No, I don't think even the best Earthbender in the world could unless he knew it was coming somehow. Of course, if he did, he wouldn't stand in the first row," the other healer said packing up the towels and bandages in the wagon.

Ezeru's healer watched as Ezeru walked away, pushing his mother. "Something was strange about his arm."

"The bandaged one?"

"Yeah. It was only for a moment, but…I didn't _feel_ anything."

"You didn't feel anything?"

"Yeah. It was like there was…nothing there. Like his arm is there, but it isn't."

The other healer waved it off. "No way. I remember during training that intense burns or injuries would cause strange feedback. Only spirit oasis water can heal it, and then there are those bandages. Who knows how thick they are."

"On top of that, you said it was just a moment, right? Probably didn't get a good reading." the male Waterbender said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, you're right. That's got to be it." Her words said it, but her face was still uncertain. Still utterly confused as to exactly what she felt.

"We're done here. Only three survivors," the male Waterbender said eyes crestfallen. "A damn shame."

A piercing rumble of an engine cut through the air. Everyone looked to the right as a man with a bow and arrow on his back, riding a motorcycle sped by. He passed directly in front of Ezeru.

Ezeru jerked back, pulling his mother out of the way. She nearly was mowed down!

Wu Lin fumed, "Hey! Watch it you idiot! You could've killed someone!"

"Are you alright?" Ezeru asked his mother.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." But, she was clearly shaken. Ezeru delivered the same stare he gave the man on stage to the rider, who made a left turn and was out of site. He never looked back. Not once.

_**Several blocks away…**_

"I guess the saying is true. Weaklings don't blow up so well," one person said dejectedly.

A girl giggled. "That's not a saying, silly."

"Well, it should be."

"But, how many times would you get to say it? What kind of saying only gets said once, Boom Boom Man?"

"Enough you two. It would have been a much larger explosion if the right person had touched that podium. I estimate the blast radius would have been triple the size." A third person shook his head, thinking of what could have been.

"Wow, that would've been a big boom in _Bumi_ City, huh?" The "oo" sound in Bumi was drawn out, emphasizing the joke.

"Yeah, big boom indeed. Oh well, always next time, right?"

The third person checked his watch. "We've waited long enough." He looked the first person. "Go. She should be ready."

_**Elsewhere…**_

Mitsuro slowed to a stop between two clothing shops. He must have lost too much time. Whoever he saw was long gone by now. _Damnit_! If the bomber was as determined to kill the Avatar as he was, Mitsuro would have to deal with competition for his kill. Frustrated, he began to turn the motorcycle around.

"No way! Mitsuro? Is that you, man?" A familiar voice called out. Mitsuro turned and saw an old friend, Baku, running towards him.

Baku was someone Mitsuro met in the Fire Nation. Baku was an orphan staying with foster parents. They attended the same school and met at lunch. Mitsuro remembered Baku as somewhat quirky. Mitsuro wouldn't normally ally himself with someone, but Baku shared some of his views on the world. Baku felt the Fire Nation was cheated after the war, turned into the other nation's doormat. Without even telling Baku about his own background, he told Mitsuro that he felt the Yu Yan archers were especially mistreated.

Mitsuro couldn't help but form a bond with him. Baku was a mischief maker, which was also right up Mitsuro's alley. However, he and his father soon received the order from the Fire Lord to relocate to the Earth Kingdom and he never saw Baku again.

Mitsuro smiled a bit. "Baku, great to see you."

"Yeah, just the same forever scowling Mitsuro. Can barely crack a smile. And look at that bike! Not many people have those. Brand new model! How'd you get that? Didn't steal it, did you?"

"No, it was gift. " Baku gave him a cynical look. "From my girlfriend," he added.

He blurted out a laugh; everything about Baku seemed to come in sudden bursts. "Ha! You gold digger. Still toting the bow around, huh?"

"Always. What are you doing in the Earth Kingdom? Receive the same summons to relocate?"

Baku got a look on his face when he had a great idea for something fiendish. "Not exactly. But, we can talk about that. You know, I'm part of this organization now. We could really use someone skilled with a bow."

Mitsuro gave Baku a sidelong look. "What kind of organization?"

"Oh you know, a little of this, a little of that." He leaned close to Mitsuro's ear. "And little fireworks."

Mitsuro's eyes grew wide. Finding himself speechless, he mouthed the word, "Museum."

Baku nodded, grinning from ear to ear. He suddenly stopped, looking around. "Crap, I nearly forgot what I was going to do. I've gotta run, buddy." He grabbed a newspaper off the ground. Baku turned, shielding his front from the crowd of people, still talking about what happened. He tracked his finger over the paper. The paper started smoking. A line was being burned into the paper as his finger moved. He waved his finger around over the paper then handed it to Mitsuro, who was still stunned.

"Sorry, buddy, got to run. Duties not done, yet. See you around." He jogged away. Mitsuro knew he should follow him, but he didn't. _Baku…Baku was the bomber. He's trying to kill the Avatar…_

His eyes slowly fell back to the paper. Burned into it was a message:

_BSS Grand Station in two weeks. Bring the bow and your skills._

_**The hideout…**_

The guys breathed a sigh of relief when Darlo walked in. He looked dirty, smelled bad, and was as far from happy as it gets. He was holding some dirty black clothing in one hand.

"Jeez, what happened to you?" Akeno said holding his nose.

"Stupid loose shingles," Darlo grumbled as he went to the bathroom. He slipped off a roof and fell into a large garbage bin. Darlo gave up on finding the bomber after that. Not because he wasn't making headway, more because he hit a dead end.

The same garbage bin he fell in had the mystery man's black clothing in it. Whoever it was he saw, wasn't dressed like he was going to rob, or blow up, a museum anymore. _Oh well, there will be other chances There always are._

When he'd washed up and changed into some new clothes, which were roughly the same as the dirty ones he was just wearing, the guys asked him the obvious question: "What now?"

"I do some more odd jobs, I guess." A newspaper from two weeks ago was sprawled out on the table. He read the headline: "First Commercial Airship Nearing Completion, Christening Date Set"

"Hm…two months from now they'll be debuting one of those commercial airships. Guess, we'll be headed back to Ba Sing Se soon. I have to see if the _old man_'s precious project sails high or crashes and burns in person."

_Next chapter…_

_Chapter 6: The New Guy_


	7. Chapter 6: The New GUy

_Chapter 6: The New Guy_

_**Ba Sing Se Grand Station…**_

"_You know, I'm part of this organization."_

Those words were all Mitsuro could think about the past two weeks. Not only was Baku-the only person Mitsuro ever thought of as a friend- a would be assassin of the Avatar, but he was working for an entire organization that wanted the same goal. Snuffing out the Avatar's life was Mitsuro's oath, a task he and he alone would complete. If he came across anyone seeking to accomplish the same, he would eliminate them as well. Yet, he let Baku walk away. Organization or not, Mitsuro should have killed him then and there.

But he didn't. Why? Was it because of their history? No, it couldn't be that. Baku was a friend, but not a close one. They'd sneak around stealing, putting immigrant slingers and spitters in their place, and just doing what boys do, and they agreed on things, but it still wasn't a kindred bond. And until he saw him again, Mitsuro never so much as thought about Baku. So, why didn't he slit Baku's throat?

Mitsuro was going to have to just let it be. He was here now. He was harping more on not killing Baku more than that going to the Avatar's revealing was a waste of time.

Mitsuro's father once told him, "Don't get upset when things don't go as planned. Failure only means fate is going in a different direction." Though the situation was out of his control, Mitsuro still failed. But in his failure he bumped into Baku who was going to extend an invitation into his organization. _Perhaps this was where fate was bringing me…_

The world was changing, but this time it was to Mitsuro's benefit. Carrying a bow around wasn't taboo. Yet. That most likely would change in a few years; this world was moving away from war. Any reminders of the war were quickly being phased out or converted into something more…_friendly_. Just like the airships. Seemed like every other month some new unveiling was happening. Every passing moment another piece of the Fire Nation was being bastardized. It was sickening.

A loud whistle blared as the 3 o'clock slid into station. This would be when most teens would be getting home from class. Three girls dressed in expensive clothing stepped off of the tram. As they passed Mitsuro, one nudged the other who pointed to Mitsuro, who was leaning on a pillar, arms folded. She mumbled something about "the weirdo with spiky hair" and they all laughed. Mitsuro closed his eyes and willed away the image of them begging for their pathetic lives.

Patience was an acquired skill for Mitsuro, but even he didn't like waiting so long when he doesn't have to. It was ridiculous enough that Baku decided not to verbally tell Mitsuro-who was standing directly in front of him at the time-to meet him here and instead wrote a note, but Baku could at least have written what time to be there. He'd been waiting for hours now. Baku had better get there fast or Mitsuro and his "skills" would walk.

A large shadow fell over him. He looked left and jumped back from the large form that seemed to appear out of nowhere. He reflexively went for his bow-

He backed into someone.

"There's the new guy! Ease up there, ace! You could put an eye out with that," Baku said as he caught him.

Noticing Mitsuro eyeing them beast of a man, Baku chuckled, "Sorry if he startled you. This guy is Po. He's our organization's muscle and then some. He looks like a brute, but he's harmless…well most of the time." Po was a large, heavy set man whose face bore a striking resemblance to a lion turtle. Mitsuro could barely make out eyes beneath his thick, low hanging brow. His mouth was in a perpetual grimace. His breathing came with a deep rumble. "Alright, let's get out of here. The place isn't to far from here."

_**The Place…**_

Jung Su was always methodical. Analyzing variables. Scrutinizing intel. Making sure his next ten steps were planned out before even taking one. So, he didn't like sudden changes that were within his control, like for instance a certain volatile person he knew. The others in the organization each brought their own specialties and talents that could be used to greatly aid in the organization's cause, but above all else they were reliable.

Baku wasn't.

If it weren't for Baku's amazing ability, he'd have no place here, because beyond that skill of his, he was a liability. Baku was the exact opposite from Jung Su. He _never _thought ahead. He just acted. If something surprised him, he was utterly incapable of rational thinking, and he'd make the most asinine decisions. Ones that could jeopardize the organization's well being. Someone like Baku could never complete a solo mission. If he achieved anything is was always by sheer dumb luck. So, when Baku came out of nowhere and said he found an archer, it irritated Jung Su somewhat. The head master had given the charge to Jung Su to find a _new _archer. Jung Su couldn't find anyone capable enough that could pass the test. A few never even survived long enough to take the test. _If only the Fire Nation hadn't disbanded the Yu Yan archers, one of them would be perfect_.

Could Baku have found the archer they needed? Part of Jung Su hoped so, but another actually hoped he wouldn't. _Now who was the irrational one? _Jung Su thought, scolding himself. _What would Head Master say?_

He lightly knocked on the head master's door.

"Come in," the commanding voice of the head master said.

Jung Su stepped inside. The head master was standing at the window. Even though the head master couldn't see him, Jung Su bowed. He always paid his respect for a man who saved him from self-destruction.

"You sent for me, master?"

The window faced the station; he probably could see Baku and this new guy approach. "It's in regards to this archer Baku is bringing in. I know you're aware of our next target and the level of difficulty of the shot he'll need to take. So, I want you to administer a special evaluation for this one. If he succeeds then he'll more than meet out needs."

"Which test, master?"

"The key is on the desk."

Jung Su saw the key and knew what special evaluation the head master meant. It was a dangerous exercise, but if he completed it, then this archer would truly be a special prospect. However, this test it carried one extra requirement.

The head master looked over his shoulder. "I have a meeting to attend, so I'll leave the rest to you. And before I forget, I'd like a report of his performance on my desk when I get back. That is all."

Jung Su bowed again and left the room. Before he made it into the hallway, he knew exactly what he had to do next. Fortunately, Jung Su had anticipated the head master calling for an increase in the evaluation difficulty, and even this particular exercise. That's why he had Po accompany Baku.

That was Jung Su: methodical.

_**Leung Hei Road…**_

Thorough. That's what this was. Olan was being thorough. He said he would start over, and he was. He was going through every case again. Reanalyzing every piece of evidence again, reconstructing the scene of each murder, researching the victim's past, redoing every step he took before with older eyes and a wiser mind. He would have to do this again. There wasn't two ways about it: He'd have to see Ms. Abira get her eyewitness account. Again.

As Hanori turned the corner in the carriage, the lone farmhouse and the 15 acre stretch of land came into few through the trees. It was three years since he'd last been here. Olan knew she wouldn't want to talk about it again, and he strongly considered skipping it. But, he felt he needed to do this.

The world at large didn't know about Abira. She was the only other credible sighting of the Demon Killer besides himself. If the world knew about this, then she would have no semblance of peace. Though the truth was that as long as her household was short one person, she would never be at peace.

The carriage pulled to a stop in front of the house. Off to the side and just behind the two story home was a grain mill. A small stream cut just to the right of the house. A water wheel was on the side. It was just as Olan remembered it. He even had the same thoughts about how primitive the mill was and that such a farm was most likely losing business. He also remembered that the farm had been passed down though generations and it was that reason why anyone even still lived there and ran the farm.

"It's not too late. You don't need to do this," Hanori protested.

"I _do _need to do this, Hanori. We've already talked about this. Let's go."

The last time Olan was here, it was the first time he wore his special investigator disguise. It was going to be a one time occurrence at first. Olan had to be there in person and he didn't know how a woman who just lost her husband would react. If she knew the Earth Kingdom was depending on a going on 13 year old boy to find the killer-though in truth the Earth Kingdom had never officially met in person and didn't know how old he was-it might be too much for her to take. The disguise worked so well, he continued to use it, and he was wearing it today.

His hand hung in front of the door for what seemed like hours. The same bad feelings from before came over him. What would he say? "Hi, us again. If it's okay, please dredge up memories you wish you could forget from the darkest time of your life."

Just like before, Hanori took it upon herself to step in front of Olan and knock for him. They heard a series of clicks and thunks as Abira unlocked the door. No doubt trying to establish some sense of security with a bevy of locks on the front door. But Olan knew that if the Demon Killer wanted to get inside, no locked door or a team of around the clock guards could stop him.

When the door opened it was just by a few inches, a chain was all that kept the door from opening all the way. She recognized them immediately. "Have you _finally _caught him?"

The way she said "finally" hit hard for Olan. As in, after all this time you have caught my husband's killer, right? Olan also noticed that she said "him" not "it" or_ "_them". Abira's account was very similar to Olan's, and so was their opinions of the killer. Though Olan called the killer by the media's name, he had no doubt it was a human using some inexplicable method for murder and escape. He could still remember the killer flying away that night.

The night he lost his mother.

Again, Hanori was forced to act when Olan couldn't seem to find his tongue. "Unfortunately, we haven't."

"Then, why are you here and not out hunting him down?"

"The investigation is taking a different approach. If it's not too difficult, we'd like to hear your eyewitness account one more time."

The door closed. Olan thought she was unlocking the chain, but it was taking longer than that. Hanori turned, giving a confused look. She couldn't see his face under the hood, but he was returning the look. The door opened enough to show her whole face. Light green eyes stared daggers at Olan and Hanori. Her tanned skin, due to a lifetime of toiling in grain fields, was taught around her face. Her expression a hard one, tense in a seething, but controlled anger. "'If it's not too difficult'? Three years ago, you stood right here and me that you would find the person responsible. You said you would scour the world with every resource available until you found him. And I believed you. I truly did.

"So, I waited. And I waited. And I waited. And I waited. I waited three years, expecting any day you would come back and tell me you found him. That I'd know who killed my husband. Three years. And after all that time, here you are again, asking me to relive that night? Asking me relive the worst night of my life? Which means that you failed to uphold your promise and lied to me. That all this time I was waiting for nothing!" Her voice was breaking. She was a hair breathe away from either lashing out at them or crying. "So, yes, it _is_ too difficult. What were you doing all this time? Reading reports at some desk? I should have never believed in you."

She was right. What _was _Olan doing? He was supposed to be doing all the talking. He swore he'd do things different this time around, but so far it was déjà vu all over again. Is this how he wanted to go about it? Making the same decisions that got him nowhere before? He was supposed to be wiser, more prepared than he was before. He couldn't make those mistakes again; from now on, things were going to be different. They _had_ to.

Hanori swallowed through a dry throat. "I can imagine how you feel-"

"You have no idea how I feel! You're just a bunch of report reading, halfhearted interviewing cops. You…you…" She was holding back the tears so far, but she couldn't any longer. So, she slammed the door in their faces.

_Things would be different this time. _For the first time, Olan spoke to her. "No, Ms. Abari, I know exactly how you feel. It doesn't even seem real at first. Before it happened, you never even considered saying goodbye. Why would you? Death was nowhere on your mind. And in an instant, they're gone. Gone forever. You feel such sadness, such heartache, that you don't know if it'll ever stop. Then the sadness gets so intense, you grow angry. Angry with questions that have no real answer. You ask, but no one can tell you why?" Olan clenched his fist. "Why did she have to die? She was such a strong woman, a strong mother. Everyone looked up to her because of who she was and what she had done during the war. She seemed untouchable. She was such a powerful person. And the fact someone was so cowardly they snuck up and take her away in her sleep…it…wasn't fair. Just when I thought I'd lose my mind, I realized I had to find out who and why for myself, because no one else could. So, I-"

Hanori touched Olan's shoulder. He had closed his eyes; he never noticed Abari had opened the door again. Her expression was completely different. It was softer now. "Would you like to come in? I can fix you a pot of tea."

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Olan slowly pulled back his hood. "Yes, I would and tea sounds great."

_**Chief Arnook's Orphanage and School for Special Needs Youth…**_

It was a large complex. Some sections were about four stories tall. The front was only two. Rows of windows ran along the outside of the building. All together it seemed like a rather new building. It was surrounded by a ten foot high brick wall with a metal gate, with two guards. The building itself looked a little a mansion.

Why had Baku brought Mitsuro to this orphanage? Is this the organization he works? Baku had a strange sense of humor and he was an orphan, so he may have been joking, but Mitsuro hoped that wasn't the case. Could Baku's attempt to kill the Avatar merely been just another radical move Baku did on a whim?

Baku always had a knack for guessing what Mitsuro was thinking about. "I know what you're thinking, buddy. But, this is the place, no doubt about it. Oh yeah, and there's something you've got to know. You've got my recommendation and all that, but you've got a still few evaluations to go through."

"What kind of evaluations?"

A twisted grin spread across Baku's face that Mitsuro remembered from long ago. "Oh, nothing life threatening." Mitsuro knew what that grin meant and it made him feel a little uneasy.

Po, who Mitsuro quickly forgot was there, stepped forward and opened the large door for them. Directly ahead was a staircase that split off to the sides. The wall behind the staircase was a large window to a courtyard. Directly above was a massive crystal chandelier that could easily crush them into unrecognizable smears on the marble floors. It was an off-putting set up. _This was supposed to be an orphanage? Who spends that much money for orphanages or schools?_

A girl in a frilly, pink dress with her light brown hair separated in two pigtails was playing on the staircase, jumping down and up each step, as she sang something to herself.

Baku said in Mitsuro's ear, "In fact, there's your first test right now." He waved at the girl. "Having fun on the steps again?"

She giggled then jumped off. "Of course, big brother! Huh?" She tilted her head as she looked at Mitsuro. She walked over with her hands on her hips, head still tilted. Her lips were pursed as she looked Mitsuro over. Mitsuro glanced at Baku. He seemed almost…nervous. Even Po was paying special attention to her.

The girl's face poked back into Mitsuro's vision, tilting the other way now. She looked him up and down. Mitsuro couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. She was sizing him up, but he didn't know why. It was all so unexpected. First the rich orphanage and now a girl in a frilly dress. Judging from her face, didn't even seem young enough to be wearing a something like that. What kind of place was this? If it really was trying to kill the Avatar, why is a girl like this here? Mitsuro wondered, he couldn't even begin to come up with an answer.

Then, as suddenly as she started, she straightened out her neck and smiled. "Hello, my name is Vivi. What's your name?"

Behind him Mitsuro heard a whoosh and felt a slight puff of air on the back of his neck. Were Baku and Po holding their breathe?

_Vivi_? "I'm…Mitsuro."

"Nice, to meet you Mitsy! Are you the new guy?"

_Mitsy_? "I suppose I am."

She giggled again. "You _suppose _you're the new guy? That's funny."

A female voice called from upstairs to the left. "Vivi, it's time for your next lesson."

"Awww, does Vivi have to go now? Vivi was just meeting my new friend, Mitsy."

A girl with long brown hair walked up to the railing. "Yes, now. You can talk to Mitsy when you're done. You're not finished your homework."

Vivi groaned. "Okay, sister. See you later, Mitsy." She skipped back up the stairs, arms at her sides. Mitsuro could almost swear he heard her la-la-laing to herself as she went up the stairs and down the hall. The girl who came to get her lingered at the railing, staring directly at Mitsuro. She was sizing Mitsuro up too, but it was nothing like Vivi's look. It seemed almost…lustful.

Vivi came back and started tugging on the other girl's hand. "Now, you're the one who's holding me up, let's go sister!"

"Sister" was the one who didn't want to leave so soon now. "Alright, alright. I'm coming."

Baku slapped Mitsuro's shoulder when they had both disappeared down the hall. "Congratulations, my man. You and Vivi really hit it off."

"Congratulations?"

Baku shrugged. "Well, yeah. Not everyone new here makes it past the Vivi test. If you had upset her, or rubbed her the wrong way, that'd pretty much end this whole thing before it got started." Mitsuro looked for the devilish grin or some indication of a joke he didn't get, but Baku looked as serious as he's ever been. He even rubbed the back of his neck, as if he just came off being stressed.

"Why is that?"

"Because Vivi is…special."

Something she said came back to Mitsuro's mind. "Is that why she called you 'big brother' or that other girl 'sister'?"

"Pretty much. She gives everyone she likes a special nickname like that. Some are based on our actual names. But when she really likes someone, she might accept you into her 'family'. Like Lila you just saw. She called her 'Lilly' for a few months before promoting her to 'sister'."

"And the dress? That's part of…what she does?"

"Yep. To tell the truth, I don't even think Vivi is her _real name _and she definitely isn't as young as she acts. Anyway, the most important thing is whatever she calls you or does, just go with it. The last thing you want to do is upset her."

Mitsuro's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

The grin returned. "Because bad things tend to happen when people who upset Vivi."

From the other side of the room, a man who looked to be at least in his early twenties was descending the steps. He was wearing a light green hanfu.

"Welcome, young archer," he said with a bow. "I'm Jung Su."

"Mitsuro." Mitsuro didn't bow back. Jung Su was Earth Kingdom, and Mitsuro would never bow to one of them.

If Jung Su noticed or cared, he didn't let on. "Well then, let's get started. But first, I'll need to apologize. To both you and Baku."

Baku said it before Mitsuro. "Apologize? For what?"

"This." Jung Su nodded. Mitsuro didn't realize what was going on until he felt a heavy hand clamp onto the side of his head. Po! He'd grabbed Baku's head too! Before Mitsuro or Baku could even try to wriggle free of the powerful grasp, Po smashed both of their heads together. They crumpled in a heap on the floor.

Jung Su nudged them both with his foot, making sure they were unconscious. Something on Mitsuro's bow caught his eye. He knelt and saw an emblem etched into his bow. He recognized it instantly. "I can't believe it. Baku found a Yu Yan archer. He may just yet live to thank his old friend."

_**Abira's farmhouse…**_

The house was very nice on the inside. No dust, no signs of pests or anything you would expect a farmhouse in the country to have. It was spotless.

Olan told Abira a little about himself. Like how it was that soon to be 13 year old boy was able to start investigating such a big case, about him breezing through college, even some about the tune up cases he took before tackling his main mission. He was about to talk a little about Hanori, but she shot him a look that told him she didn't want him to. Olan figured he'd tell a little about himself so she'd do the same for him, even though it was information he had mostly heard again.

Abira talked about her husband, Tokiba. They had met when her father went to a neighboring town for a few supplies. Tokiba was a hardware shopkeeper's son. She had wandered away from her father, like any child would, and accidentally knocked a hatchet off its stand. It nearly fell on her when he showed up out of nowhere and caught it, saving her a very serious injury, maybe even death. It was a classic tale of love at first sight meets indebted damsel in distress falls for her rescuer. From there it was history. I _guess stories like that aren't just for Avatars…_

She then began telling about life after they had married and Tokiba decided to help her on her father's farm. "It was a simple life. During the late winter, early spring months as the temperature was getting warmer and the snow was melting, we'd plant the new crop. By the summer we'd harvest. Then, on the weekends he'd go into town to sell. Our farm always had a good yield and we sold well."

Olan took another sip of tea. It wasn't that bad. "Before his death, was there anything about your husband that seemed strange? Changes in his behavior?"

She paused, breathing slowly. "The week before, he seemed so nervous. Well, not exactly nervous, he was more distant or distracted. Like something was about to happen that he was thinking about. I didn't think much of it of course."

Olan nodded. Olan made the discovery that most of the Demon Killer's victims weren't model abiders of the law shortly before he met with Abira the first time. Most likely, Tokiba had heard of the murders and was getting nervous. What the newspapers printed could be controlled, but rumors were their own entity. The underworld must be buzzing constantly. Big crime bosses toning down their operations, concealing their identities, doing anything so they could continue poisoning the world with their corruption and greed and still stay off the Demon Killer's hit list. For obvious reasons, Olan couldn't tell Abira the kind of person her husband really was. Unless of course she already knew.

He decided to test that theory. "What do you think made him so nervous?" Olan wanted to do his best not to ask too many questions, to let her do most of the talking. That way she'd talk more freely and not feel like she was being interrogated. Which is what this really was.

"I don't know. There would be times when he'd make unexpected trips into the city and not come back home until later that night, but that wasn't very often. I can't for anything remember the reason when he did though."

Abira was a passive woman, Olan realized. She was clearly too trusting of her husband. That could probably be attributed to her feelings of him as her personal hero from childhood. A little inquiry on her part may have spared her grief. She could have found out about his connections to underground crime or that he sold more than grain and carrots when he went into town.

Putting himself at her standpoint, Olan couldn't see why she didn't try to find out what it was he was doing when he was out. He could have been seeing another woman behind her back while she toiled in the fields. Did she really believe that deeply in her husband? Olan didn't blame her for what happened to her husband, but maybe if she had been more aggressive she would…

Aggressive.

_Be more aggressive? Maybe I should listen to my own advice._

Without even asking, she went off into the night Tokiba died. She must have figured it was her turn to talk about the death of a loved one now. "He had just come back in from town that evening. He was sweating hard. I started to ask him about it, but I waved it off as just being a hot day. All that night he tossed and turned in bed. I could feel him. He awoke suddenly, it scared me too. He said he had a bad dream, so he was going outside to get some air. I just said okay and started drifting back to sleep. I should have realized something was wrong then and there. Tokiba never had nightmares before that night, it was a bad omen and I just waved it off. It wasn't until I heard the glass breaking that got out of bed."

She sniffed as a tear began to stream down her cheek. Hanori handed her a handkerchief and wiped away the tears. "I called out his name, but he didn't answer. I kept calling and calling and never heard his voice again. I went downstairs and saw the front door was open. When I went to close it, I saw he was on the ground outside. I thought he had fainted or collapsed from a fever. It wasn't until I shook his body and saw his head that I knew he was…he was…" She couldn't get the word out. Olan knew what it was she saw. A neat almost surgical cut in Tobika's forehead with barely a trickle of blood. The Demon Killer struck him down with a single blow. The sound she heard was Tokiba dropping a glass of water he fixed just before he was killed. "I held him close, praying that it was just a dream. That I was the one having the nightmare. That's when I saw the shadow streak across me.

"That night there was a full moon and not a single cloud in the sky. So, I had a clear view of him. I saw as he flew with invisible wings. Almost flying straight into the moon. I didn't even think about how impossible what I was seeing was. I only felt anger. I knew that this dark figure was the one who killed my husband. I didn't even know if it was a real person or just my eyes deceiving me. I didn't even know why I knew, but every fiber of my being believed that as a fact. That the Demon Killer had taken my husband away from me. And without even realizing it I screamed. It came from the depths of my body. It was like a howler-bat was inside my throat. I cried out until I was hoarse. And, the Demon Killer did something that proved to me that it was without a doubt human: it looked back. No spirit would feel guilty enough to look back upon its victim or it's family."

Her words caused Olan's mind to slip back into his own memory. Remembering the night the Demon Killer came to his house, but he had been more daring. Instead of lying in wait outside, he came into his house and stole his mom away. And he remembered a scene very similar to Abira's. Only Olan had the nightmare and ran to his mother's bedroom, shaking her and shaking her, wondering why she wouldn't wake up. A shadow streaking out of the window on a full moonlit night and the killer fly away seemingly on invisible wings. Olan cried out just like Abira and the Demon Killer looked back.

Except, Olan saw something more. Olan saw something Abira didn't see. Olan saw the most vital clue about the Demon Killer's identity. It was a secret he kept to himself. Not even Hanori knew about it. Before he saw the Demon Killer pay for what he's done, he'd make sure he saw it again. He swore that the day he dedicated himself to catching him.

Olan checked the clock on the wall. It was just past 4 in the afternoon? Had he really been there 3 hours? It long past time to go. Olan and Hanori thanked her for the tea and her hospitality. She apologized for what she said earlier and for slamming the door in their faces. They had climbed into the carriage and was ready to pull off when Abira ran out of her house.

"I'm sorry, but there's something I must know about your mother. It's just that you spoke of her as such a great woman, and you told me about how she was buried in Gaoling, so I'd really like to visit her gravesite to pay my respects to a war hero. But, then I realized I don't remember her name."

Olan thought for moment then smiled. "That's because I forgot to tell you."

Abira returned the smile.

"My mother's name was Toph. Toph Bei Fong."

_Next chapter…_

_Chapter 7: Training_


	8. Chapter 7: Training

_Chapter 7: Training_

It was the pain that slowly pulled Mitsuro back into consciousness. The side of his head felt like it was going to explode. He gingerly touched the egg shaped knot on his temple. Groaning, he opened his eyes, the light of day stinging his eyes. He tried to look around, figure out where the hell he was, but his vision was blurry. He squeezed his eyes shut, hand covering them with his hand.

Damn.

What happened? He was talking to Baku and someone in a hanfu, then…what?

Po, the big, pig faced brute.

He knocked him out.

Po knocked Mitsuro _and _Baku out. Bastard.

No. It wasn't just Po. It was the man in that hanfu. _He _ordered Po to knock them out. Jung Su. Mitsuro, eyes still closed, went for his bow, but only then realized it wasn't on his back. But the quiver strap it was held on was still there. But it was also empty of all arrows. The arrows could've fallen out, but not the bow. Someone had to remove it.

Damn it. If his bow was damaged in anyway, someone would pay dearly for that.

Mitsuro slowly climbed to his feet, his headache making him a bit woozy. His vision wasn't 100 but it was a little better now. He tried to get his bearings, perhaps to see if his bow was nearby. It wasn't. Trees surrounded him. He looked up and saw he was outside…but not exactly. He was in some kind of wooden dome with an opening to the sky.

He heard the gurgling of water nearby. He followed the sound and came to the edge of a pond. It was about 20 feet across, and was dug roughly 3 feet deep into the ground. It formed a definable edge around the sides. It was a barrier to keep the creatures inside from slithering out.

Inside it was teeming, almost choked with writhing piranha-eels. Long fish with large teeth too big for their mouths, giving them a grisly smile. He'd only heard of them, he'd never seen any before though, let alone this many in one pond. If Mitsuro fell in, he'd be eaten alive in _seconds_.

The deadly pond formed a crescent shape with a small section of land adjacent to the wall. On that section of land was a large oak tree. Its thick branches stretching out like a flayed hand, spreading high over his head.

On one of these branches hung a person, tied up in rope and dangling from his feet directly above the piranha-eel pond.

Baku.

He was still unconscious. On the right side of Mitsuro's neck, it looked like a _flower_ was sticking out of his neck.

What the hell?

"Ah, I see you aren't dead after all," a voiced echoed. Jung Su.

Mitsuro whipped around, furiously searching for him. His head still hurt, but he could see straight now. "What is this? Where is my bow?" He shouted.

He heard Jung Su sigh. It was too loud for him to be shouting. He must be speaking from a sonicus microphone. "Baku didn't tell you about the evaluations? I should have known he wouldn't make it clear. This is a test, Mitsuro."

"A test?"

"Yes. I will not repeat myself, so paying attention is paramount. I'm sure you've noticed the pond of piranha-eels Baku is dangling above. As well as the flower on Baku's neck. The flower is actually a parasitic weed known commonly as Sleeper's Sakura. It feeds off the chemicals that brains produce in sleep, so it releases enzymes that keeps its victims unconscious so it can feast indefinitely. If it is killed, Baku will awaken and be able to free himself. Otherwise, he'll remain asleep until he dies of old age.

"Shoot the Sleeper's Sakura off Baku's neck to pass. Needless to say, if you miss and strike Baku, you'll more than likely kill him. And it should also be mentioned that the rope is fully taught. If you damage it in anyway, there's a high probability it'll snap, sending Baku plunging into the eels. Your bow and arrows have been scattered within this training arena. Find them, and kill the parasite. Best of luck, Mitsuro."

This was ridiculous. They knocked him out and put Baku in a life or death situation just to test Mitsuro?

Or rather, what they _thought _was a life or death situation.

The situation was serious and the shot would have to be perfect, but Mitsuro was a Yu Yan archer, this was child's play. Mitsuro could easily kill the parasite, but that still left an obvious conclusion to this. All Mitsuro had to do was-

"Before the idea even conjures in your mind, the branch will not support both you and Baku's weight," Jung Su interjected in Mitsuro's thoughts that almost seemed to be reading. Mitsuro was seething at being treated like this, but he'd take pleasure in making this so-called evaluation into a farce even if the most obvious solution was ruled out.

Jung Su never gave mention of a time limit, so Mitsuro was going to take his time searching the area. He found three arrows in a bush and two tree trunks, all one after another. When he plucked the last one free he saw his bow just ahead.

It just sitting on top of a rock next to the wall of this arena. He examined it and saw no obvious damage. He flexed the string a few times. No signs of sabotage either. This was an evaluation? They weren't making it even remotely difficult.

Mitsuro saw an arrow was wedged in between the links of a chain on the wall. He had pulled it free before he noticed something crucial: it wasn't one of his arrows.

The chain started moving, rattling against the wall as it slid into a hole in the ground. A circular section of the wall started sliding into the ground as well.

It was a _gateway _disguised to look like a part of the wall. No light coming from the other side meant it wasn't an exit, so what was it?

Mitsuro nearly gagged on the foul stench of rotten meat at the same time as he heard a heavy growl. Mitsuro raised his bow, arrow at ready and cautiously backed away, taking cover behind a tree trunk.

A pointed snout lined with sharp teeth, dripping yellowish saliva came out first. Its body was covered in thick, dark green scales. One fin rose out of the top of it's head. The beast sniffed the ground, then growled again and let out a bark. The thing had Mitsuro's scent.

What a damn fool Mitsuro was! The arrows leading up to his bow, his bow being where he wouldn't miss it, and the arrow in the chain. All designed to trick him into freeing-

The beast charged.

Mitsuro fired the arrow he removed moments ago. It hit in the middle of the creatures all black eyes and splintered. The creature never even flinched.

Damn it.

Mitsuro ran.

_**Arena lookout point….**_

Mitsuro took the most obvious bait Jung Su had laid. He figured it would be simple for anyone to spot the arrows leading to the bow as being some sort of trap. It was clear this Mitsuro was underestimating the danger, perhaps even having some sense of arrogance. If he had only stopped and considered that it couldn't be as easy as it seemed, he wouldn't have to contend with a hungry shark hound-a smaller cousin of sorts to the eel hound yet far more vicious-but with some other less _persistent_ obstacles. Nonetheless, the difficulty scale of this exercise escalated from seven to 10.

If he survived this, then Mitsuro would truly be a special prospect.

"If" being the operable word, of course.

_**Bumi City Central Business District…**_

Olan Bei Fong groaned. "They've got to invent a faster way to travel. I know it's more private than trams, but even these long distance wagons are pathetically slow."

Hanori shook her head. "You're supposed to investigate every potential lead, Olan. Kwan thought it could be another related incident to the Demon Killer. I thought you said you'd be thorough."

"I did say I'd be thorough, Hanori. But, I wasn't talking about unrelated events. Kwan is just in over his head."

Commissioner Kwan, of Bumi City Law Enforcement, was indeed over his head. Someone, somehow, had planted an explosive at the podium at the Avatar revealing ceremony. The explosion killed 14 people including Water Tribe Ambassador to the Earth Kingdom Rhukoda.

Olan knew of the mysterious bomber, but until now this bomber's actions were limited to cheap vandalism. The explosion nearly overshadowed the fact that the Avatar wasn't revealed or the Water Tribe's lack of any explanation.

Commissioner Kwan sent a letter of request to the Earth King for the special investigator to come to Bumi City. Apparently, he believed that this was the work of the Demon Killer. An utterly ridiculous notion. The Demon Killer's M.O. wasn't to use explosives in broad daylight, rather than sharp weaponry and stealth. It was almost insulting to think of the Demon Killer like that, but special investigator or not, Olan did work for the government. So, when ordered, he broke off his reworking of the Demon Killer case. And just when he had come to a big decision too.

No matter. He'd need more time to think up the proper strategy anyway. Olan had been on defense too long. He'd been hunting his mother's murderer for three years now, and it ate away at him that it'd taken him that long to realize it. The Demon Killer wasn't going to make any mistakes. After all this time, he actually was getting better. Since his and Ms. Abira's incidents, there hasn't been a single credible sighting.

None.

At this rate, he'd never catch him. It was time to change that.

His mother was the greatest Earthbender of her generation, bar none. Though Olan lacked Earthbending, she still taught Olan the mindset. The steadfast approach, the will to meet a problem head on that constituted not just Earthbending, but the entire make up of the Earth Kingdom and its people.

How could Olan avenge her death, live up to his Bei Fong name, while hiding from the shadows? Three years gave the answer: he couldn't.

It was time to confront the Demon Killer directly. The only issue was how. He'd need a flawless strategy. One that allowed him to attack and defend simultaneously. Olan had thought of a few ideas, but the finer points of how to draw the Demon Killer out was still in need of work.

The devil is in the details.

_**Okano District…**_

Sometimes Darlo just felt like being alone. Give him time to himself to get some movement. The guys were always so needy. "What are we doing now?" "I'm bored." "I'm hungry." Darlo didn't like kids, so he definitely didn't like hanging around a couple people who were almost exactly like a bunch of kids. Not to mention they couldn't keep up when Darlo wanted to go hit the streets to do some working out and they never liked coming to places like this. This was the rough part of Bumi City. The part where the buildings have been standing since Avatar Kyoshi was in diapers. Not a lot of foot traffic and patrolling cops to tell him to get off people's property or just basically giving him a bad time.

In some strange bit of irony as he thought of Akeno begging for food, Darlo himself got hungry so he stopped to eat at some place called Aunt Meng's. Darlo wasn't meticulous when he got the urge to stuff his face, so he didn't mind that the place seemed dusty, but the food was pretty good. Akeno would love it. He'd also love the mousy waitress. Darlo and the guys would probably enjoy a good laugh watching him get shot down. And Darlo would definitely crack a joke about the owner. Maybe make a comment like, "The owner is definitely from the Earth Kingdom. She's got a Great Divide in her mouth, man." Yeah. Annoying as they were, it was better to hang around with some idiots than to be alone. He didn't stay at the restaurant long. Before he left, Darlo noticed a chair, that was really more of a tree trunk by a table in the corner.

Where they out of normal chairs and too lazy to by a new one? Man, this really is the ass of this already weak city.

It was the strangest thing. Akeno was so big around the waist, yet Darlo ate more than he did, at least he did in one sitting. Darlo could eat anything and everything he wanted and not gain a pound. Yet Akeno seemed to be steadily plumping up like a slowly inflating balloon. Probably was because after Darlo ate he didn't sit around and let the fat build up.

Once finished, Darlo would either go back to his workout routine, find an odd job, or some underground fight club. He used to love those clubs. Used to always be a new interesting challenger to beat down before, but thanks to the sanctioned Earth Rumbles, people didn't want to fight for the pride anymore. They only wanted the big money of being in front of big crowds. Even though they were called Earth Rumbles, Darlo could still enter if he wanted to, but performing in front of big crowds was a life Darlo didn't want to jump back into. Not again.

He took the rest of the meal to go and was gulping down the last bits of his chicken-lamb leg when he saw some kids maybe five years younger or more than Darlo playing ball in a dusty field. They'd set up old garbage cans as the goals, one of which was on it's side. It was a classic five on five, shirts versus skins match up.

Seeing that took Darlo back, nostalgia taking Darlo back a few years, nearly enough to make him smile. But, not quite as those years weren't all that pleasant.

One kid made a break for the goal. "Pass it here! I'm open!"

The ball carrier passed it directly at him. The kid stopped and received the ball with the bottom of his foot.

_Are you serious?_

He turned to the goal and kicked it off the tip of his shoe, the ball sailed high and wide.

_Not even close._

"That's out. Our ball." One of two girls out there got the ball and threw it back inbounds. Another boy with his shirt wrapped around his head caught the ball with his hands and started running. He took four steps then dropped the ball to the ground, and started controlling it with his feet.

_That's it; I can't take any more of this._ Darlo threw down the leg.

The kid with the shirt on his head passed the ball to midfield, towards the other goal. The only other girl on the field started to receive but Darlo stepped in front of her.

He trapped the ball on his chest, and whipped his leg around. Before the ball ever touched the ball, Darlo kicked it to the far side of the field. It curved in midair and landed inside of a rusted garbage can, knocking it over.

He meant to kick it through the barrels, but that works too. "Now _that's _how you kick a ball."

The kids stood in awe. "Wow! That was amazing!" the girl said.

Darlo shook his head. "No, that was using your the top part of your foot to kick, not the tip of your toes."

"Why? Does it matter?"

He slapped his forehead. Don't these kids know anything? "Of course it matters. If you're trying to taste something, do you use the tip of your tongue?"

They shook their heads.

"You use the flat of your tongue, right? To get the most contact with the ball." He realized what he said and tried to correct himself. "I mean with the food or whatever it is you're trying to taste. Don't ever lick balls."

They snickered.

Darlo pursed his lips. "Oh, you know what I mean. Anyway, you use that part of your foot so you get more contact with the ball and can control it better. When you use the tip of your foot not only can the ball go all over the place-like it did just now-but if you hit it too hard you can break a toe."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, ouch."

Another kid, a little taller than the rest, the goalie raised his hand.

"This isn't school, kid. What?"

"What about how you stopped the ball with your chest? Why didn't you catch it first?"

"Speed."

"Speed?"

"By not using my hands, I can make one less movement to control the ball and can kick it that much faster. If I caught it, I'd have to toss it in the air and then kick it, but if I can do it in one move, then I'm that much faster."

The other girl, a sandy haired girl with freckles, got the ball out of the can and tried trapping it herself. It hit too hard and rolled to Darlo. "How come it just bounces off?"

He flipped the ball up to him with his foot. "Because you have to lean back." He demonstrated. "Absorb the impact and…wait, why am I even giving you kids free lessons? Why do I even care if you can't play right?" He started walking off the field about to flip the ball over his shoulder. "You just go back to playing your broken game."

"Aww, please don't go. We wanna learn how to kick it out of the air like you just did!" the girl pleaded.

The other goalie then said something that made him stop dead in his tracks. "Yeah, that was so cool! Just like _D the Red Striker _would do! C'mon mister, show us that cool trick!"

Darlo turned, his face a mix of wonder and fear. "The Red Striker? You still remember that?"

"Of course! He only was the most awesome player ever."

Freckle face scoffed. "No, he wasn't."

"Yes, he was. He was the best ever!"

"Nu-uh, the best ever wouldn't sell out on his own team. My dad said so."

"He had one bad game. Who cares what your dad thinks?"

The other team's goalie spat back, "One bad game against the real best ever player ever. That's why he lost."

"No, it's not!"

"Yes, it is."

"Hey mister, what do you think…mister?"

Darlo didn't answer.

He couldn't.

Darlo was gone, in his place, the dusty ball he was holding.

_**Training arena…**_

Thanks to Baku's body position, there were only two sides Mitsuro could shoot from: in front, or in back. The only way to get behind him would be to swim through pond, but the piranha-eels threw that idea out of the question. The position of the trees directly in front of Baku's body prevented Mitsuro from taking a running shot at the parasite. He'd have to find an alternative. Hopefully from a higher vantage point. Somewhere like around here.

Mitsuro was breathless, but he had to slow his breathing. Couldn't give himself away. The shark hound's sense of smell was strong, but nowhere near shirshu level. A shirshu would've easily found him in this tree perched on his haunches.

It was sniffing around the ground below him, going in circles. Animal grunts of frustration as it knew he was near, but was too dumb to look up.

He could see Baku and the Sleeper's Sakura, and he gauged the distance to be 29 yards. A lot of trees and branches made it less than a clear shot and only three arrows, he couldn't afford to miss.

He'd seen several arrows as he narrowly eluded the snarling animal, but he had no chance to pry them loose. Shark hounds weren't nearly as fast as eel hounds-Mitsuro was glad for that-but the thing was close on his heels the entire time, giving him no time to pull extra arrows loose. And even if he did somehow get distance, he was sure removing the other arrows would set off some other kind of trap. He wouldn't make that mistake again.

And he wasn't going to let this opportunity pass.

Slowly, Mitsuro fitted an arrow and drew it back. He could see the pink Sleeper's Sakura just through the leaves. It would be tough, but it should cut through the leaves and thin branches. He could compensate for the shot being altered, he'd practiced these kinds of shots.

He let out a nearly inaudible breathe-

_Snap_. Under his weight, the tree branch he was sitting on cracked and bent.

The arrow flew, thunking into the ground.

Mitsuro cursed, feet slipping off the branch, falling on his ass in a full sitting position. The animal looked up and snarled.

Shark hounds were big and heavy, it wasn't going to climb the tree, so Mitsuro should still be safe, even though now he'd have to pay attention too it.

It turned it's head sideways bite into the trunk, shaking its head furiously. Bark flew and leaves were shaken loose as the animal shook. What was it doing? Its jaws were powerful, but it wasn't going to bite the tree in half. It moved and started gnawing on a different spot after a minute or two. It did this two more times, but the tree never creaked over or gave any sign of weakening. Eventually, the shark hound walked away, coughing up strips of bark. Its teeth left deep cuts across trunk, but not nearly deep enough to cause the entire tree to fall. It disappeared from sight through some thick shrubs. It's giving up? These things really are just as dumb-

The shark hound burst through the trees at full speed! It lowered its head and rammed tree just above the deep cuts. The impact bent the tree over, but didn't break it completely. Mitsuro had to cling to the branches to keep from tumbling out.

He couldn't believe it. The animal _was _smart. It weakened the tree so it would be easier to knock over. It was almost _too _smart.

The tree was low enough to the ground for it to crawl on, sharp claws digging into the bark. The shark hound's bulk weighing down on the trunk. Forcing it closer and closer to the ground, branches snapping against it's body. Its body was cutting a swath through the tree.

Mitsuro crept back, further into the canopy.

More importantly, it was away from the shark hound's jaws.

He clearly couldn't stay here, but there were so many branches, he couldn't just jump out. He might get caught, then he'd be a slab of meat just waiting to be eaten.

Leaves were scraping, slapping at his face. He had to look back to find branches to grab to pull himself. The animal just broke through them…it was gaining. So damn close.

He looked over his shoulder; he had just a little more to go and he'd be free.

The bloodthirsty animal took advantage of his distraction and lurched forward with a hissing snarl! It swiped its heavy claw-

Mitsuro barely had time to react. He twisted against a branch, get it between him and the shark hound.

He felt the claw slash his left side, just narrowly avoiding being slashed across the stomach. He gritted his teeth, tore his way through to the open ground, and kept going, clutching his bleeding side.

The beast was livid it's mouth working, chewing on anticipatory human flesh. The rows and rows of jagged teeth exposed, foamy spit oozing out in droves. It just got the fresh scent of blood on it's nose, driving it into a frenzy.

A feeding frenzy.

This was bad.

Mitsuro cursed himself for not being in better shape. He was exhausted, and the wound made each step agonizing. He was in no shape to outrun a four-legged animal, and even less to get off an accurate shot through a bunch of damn trees. He had to come up with something, or he was a dead man.

A trick like squeezing through tightly packed trees won't work now. Its mind set on eating and nothing else, the shark hound would just plow straight through anything in it's way.

Wait.

Plow straight through anything.

That's it!

Mitsuro made a hard cut to the right.

The shark hound slammed into the ground behind him, rolling over. It tried to continue its mad pursuit after him without regaining footing or balance, and fell flat as it slid on the dirt.

It just dove at him.

If he hadn't turned…

_No, that doesn't matter_, Mitsuro thought. _Use this moment, seize the opportunity. If I die here, then Yu Yan legacy dies with me. That cannot happen. _

_That will not happen._

A burst of energy surged through Mitsuro's body. He never remembered running so fast. He felt weightless. His legs moved but he didn't feel like he was running at all. His vision tunneled. He couldn't even feel the cuts that made running agonizing seconds ago.

It was a combat high.

Or it was blood loss, either way, Mitsuro would use this too.

When he made it to the wall, he turned and waited. Making no attempt at concealing himself. Perfect, it was a straight line run now.

The beast appeared directly in front of him, blocking his line.

He gauged the distance to be roughly 30 yards.

"Come on," he urged it.

It charged.

25 yards.

"Come on." He sound louder.

15 yards.

"COME ON!"

It had to be only 5 feet away when he dove aside. The shark hound, unable to stop, crashed hard into the wall. The entire arena trembled. Mitsuro didn't see if it went down or not, he had to run again. This one last time. He could feel the wound more now, the high was fading. And the shark hound's frenzy wouldn't end until it tasted meat. He wouldn't outrun it much longer, not long enough to make it back to the water.

This was his only chance.

The shark hound's attempt to eat Mitsuro in the downed tree left a swath of broken branches. The tree was broken 8 feet off the ground.

It made a ramp, and Mitsuro was going to hit it at full speed and use the boost to get a clear shot over the line of trees.

While in midair.

He blocked out everything else in the feet before the "ramp". He only tried to see the position of Baku's hanging body relative to his own. He visualized the size of the Sleeper's Sakura, its position.

The rope.

The distance he saw between that tree and the oak tree Baku hung from.

He knew what he had to do. His body just needed to give him that extra push…

He fitted the lone arrow-ignoring the fact that at some point the second arrow in his quiver fell out-and hit the ramp just as he thought he would. He ran up, maintaining his balance perfectly, just as he visualized. And leapt.

Time slowed to a crawl.

He was higher than he thought he would be, but so were the trees.

Damn, he'd have to pull the shot up. Do it just enough…

The pink of the flower petals-

Now!

With a whiff, the arrow was gone, and so was Mitsuro's sight of his target.

All Mitsuro could see now was rows of teeth falling from above.

The shark hound followed him up the tree trunk!

Damn it, he couldn't avoid it-

Mitsuro hit the ground, his breathe leaving his lungs.

The shark hound was falling right on top of him, it's wretched mouth finally going to taste human flesh.

He could only close his eyes and accept his death. Even as he heard his bones crunching he could only hope he that he hit his mark with his final arrow…

_**The Hideout…**_

Darlo left those dumb kids and jogged back home. It was a good workout all together, but he couldn't figure out why he did what he did.

He'd sworn never to step on another field like that again. It wasn't the competitor in him, those were just kids who didn't even understand the idea of a lead pass or volley. It sure as hell wasn't nostalgia; because that was a time in his life he only wanted to forget. It wasn't for the exercise; he had dozens of just as, no, _more _effective ways to get the blood pumping.

Whatever the reason, he got a quick reminder of his greatest failure for going back on his own word. He got a dose of his number one shame. A reminder of how close he was to his goal, and really how dumb he was the whole time.

Four damn years and people still remembered. At least just some kids saw the similarities, if anyone else in the Earth Kingdom figured it out, Darlo might have to leave for good.

To think there are people who would kill try to him because of _one _stupid ball game.

Someone knocked on the door.

Darlo was sitting closest, the others were playing kamikaze. Darlo was laid out on the couch, staring at the ceiling. He said, "Is someone going to get that?"

Zhi rolled his eyes and got out of his seat. "Sure, whatever, I'll get it."

He opened door, but no one was there. He stepped out and looked around. Still nothing.

He something was on the ground and picked it up. Closing the door behind him, Zhi said, "Someone left a big envelope and…" Zhi looked at it and looked at Darlo, then back at the envelope. "…uh."

Qin got up and walked over. "Uh, what?"

Darlo sat up. "What does it say, Zhi?"

"I don't know. It's sealed with a stamp, but all that's on the outside is the letter 'D'."

Darlo sprang out of the seat, snatched the envelope out of Zhi's hands, and looked at the seal. It was a gold emblem with a flying boar. Darlo knew the seal well: the symbol of the Bei Fong family.

He broke the seal with his finger and took out the envelope's contents.

It wasn't possible. "There's no way."

"What's no way?" Zhi asked.

Darlo ran into his room, leaving the guys baffled and emerged with a small bag of his things. Thanks to how often they were in and out, jumping between cities as the occasion -or more commonly Darlo's mood- dictated, he never unpacked. He didn't have much stuff anyway. "I've got to go. Hold down the fort, guys."

"You're leaving? Where are you going? What did the note say?"

Darlo opened the door. "I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because, I don't know what it says, not really. It's just two newspaper clippings and an address. See ya, be back in…whenever." And just like that, Darlo left.

Qin sighed. "I hate it when he does that." They didn't bother trying to follow. Even walking, Darlo could cover a lot of ground quickly. He was probably half a block away by now.

"Where do you think he's going?" Akeno asked.

"Not a clue." Zhi rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey, look, it's one of those newspaper clippings. Darlo left it on the couch." He read the headline and gasped. "I don't know where Darlo went, but I do know why."

"The Red Striker Guarantees Victory in Title Game" read the bold-faced print. And Zhi also knew why Darlo went alone: he might have to fight for his life, to fight for his honor, and Darlo didn't want his clique anywhere in harms way. Or rather, Zhi thought he knew why Darlo went alone.

In truth, it wasn't quite as selfless an act.

_**Training arena…**_

The stench of rotten meat was overwhelming. Something hot, sticky, and rancid dribbled onto Mitsuro's face. He wiped the slime off his face. The crunching sound continued, but…it wasn't Mitsuro's bones.

Mitsuro opened his eyes to see a squirming, whimpering shark hound desperately trying to pop Mitsuro's skull in its jaws like a grape. It's mouth so close he could count the teeth.

Unable to understand why he was still alive, Mitsuro scampered away, crawling on his back. For the second time that day, he backed into someone.

It was a leg this time. He looked over his shoulder to see two boys, roughly his age in a horse stance, arm extended, palms open with the fingers curled. He looked back at the beast and saw it was being held still by up heaved earth surrounding its front limbs and mid-section. It was all under it except for the one area where Mitsuro was just laying. Its back legs and tail kicking helplessly.

Mitsuro was just saved by Earthbenders?

Disgraceful.

From behind the two Earthbenders came handclaps, slow, deliberately separated. "Truly impressive, Mitsuro."

Hearing that voice, Mitsuro rose to his feet, furious. "What the hell is going on?"

Ignoring the outburst, Jung Su continued. "I must say, I thought you were finished when you released our pet. At that point, if you were even able to let loose with any shot on the Sleeper's Sakura, it would have been amazing. But, not only did you get off a shot. It was perfectly accurate. Truly outstanding."

Before Mitsuro could spew every insult at Jung Su he could think of, he felt a familiar slap on the back.

"HA! I told you Mitsuro was the one, egghead! Looks like I found a real winner."

"Baku?" He didn't even look the least bit upset. Like he didn't almost get an arrow in his body, be eaten by piranha eels, or sleep forever. Didn't he know Jung Su just gambled with his life? Or did he just not care?

Jung Su looked agitated at that. "I suppose even a blind mouse squirrel will find a leachy nut. Come, we must finalize the evaluation." Jung Su turned.

Mitsuro had had it. He shook off Baku's hand.

That fiendish grin was back. "What's wrong, man?"

"What's wrong? This is all wrong!" Mitsuro waved his hand, encompassing the whole arena. "You say you're looking for someone who can use a bow and arrow, so one shows up and you have him almost killed by a bloodthirsty animal? I've wanted to know since long before I got here, and I won't take another step until you tell me what the hell kind of organization is this and why I shouldn't leave this mental asylum right now?"

Jung Su looked at Mitsuro intently, and then nodded. "Now, I see."

Mitsuro returned the look. "Now you see what?"

"I see why you were in Bumi City during the Avatar's Revealing ceremony."

Mitsuro shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about and you're avoiding the question."

"No, on the contrary. We both have the same goals, Mitsuro. You and this organization. And, I see a lot of myself in you."

"What?"

Jung Su reached into his hanfu and produced Mitsuro's formerly white arrow. Mitsuro couldn't hide his surprise at seeing it, he'd forgotten that he brought with him just in case he might need it. Jung Su nodded again, confirming something based on Mitsuro's reaction. He inspected the arrow. "You were planning on killing the Avatar with this arrow weren't you?"

Mitsuro could feel the blood drain from his face.

"I suspect that these grooves would catch the air in such a manner as to make it curve in midair. Quite ingenious. You were probably stationed in one of the hotels adjacent to the museum. A perfect cover, it would be impossible to surmise as the direction the arrow was shot from, no one could account for the curving trajectory. Especially in light of the fact that if the arrow doesn't fragment after impact, it will once removed from the body. I'd imagine you were just as frustrated the Avatar didn't show up as much as we were."

How? How could he know?

Baku leaned into his ear. "Just wait, it only gets better."

"Your motivation is revenge. No, revenge isn't right; it's more an issue of honor. You're too young to be a Yu Yan, but you've clearly received the training. Most likely, your grandfather or father was in the Yu Yan archers. But, they were disgraced, disbanded. Specialists in warfare left without-"

Mitsuro couldn't let him just talk about his life like this. "Enough! How do you know all this?"

"Because, that's my skill, Mitsuro. My mind is my weapon, my 'power' if you will. Each of us has one. But, above that each of us was been wronged."

"Wronged?"

"Yes. Wronged by this new world, Avatar Aang created. This world has become rotten, a twisted shell of its former self. But, it's not beyond repair, Mitsuro; this world can be saved."

"Save the world? Is this why you tried to kill the Avatar?"

Jung Su nodded. "Yes, but the Avatar was not precisely our target, but the weapon with which we meant to strike a final, definitive blow against the true enemy. But, unfortunately, the enemy lives."

"True enemy?"

"Yes, the true enemy is the driving agent against our mission to liberate this world. Had you been on our side from the beginning, then the true enemy's destruction would've been assured."

"Who is the true enemy?"

"The true enemy-"

Baku broke in. "Hey, hey, let's not tell him everything already. We won't have anything else to talk about later on. Besides, I know you've already planned out dozens of ways we can use him, but first let Mitsuro decide for himself. You've just laid a lot of stuff on him. Not everyone thinks at breakneck speed like you, egghead."

Jung Su shook his head again. "Very well. It's okay. I'll leave you to choose." He handed Mitsuro back his arrow and turned, gesturing to the Earthbenders. They shifted their stance and bent the still confined shark hound back towards the hole in the wall it came from.

"So, what do you say, man? It'd be just like old times. You and me, raising hell, except this time we'd be doing some real good."

"I don't get it. You've been blowing up people's cars, destroying meaningless things, how is this for the greater good?"

Baku laughed. "Jung Su doesn't think I'm good for much except making things go boom, and finds that particular skill of mine isn't good for stealth, but it does make for great distractions. They send me to do whatever I want and not get caught…"

"…while the actual mission is done in the midst of the confusion." Mitsuro finished. It was a classic maneuver.

"See, you and Jung Su are a lot alike."

The thought of being similar to a slinger didn't sit well with Mitsuro.

"I'm telling you, Mitsuro, you'll be waiting for the Avatar to show up for who knows how long. But, if you join us, you can do some real good. And when the Avatar finally does show up, you can do whatever you want to him."

"Why would you let me do that?"

"We're a bunch of orphan misfits united for one goal, but we aren't replacing your mom and dad. When not on mission, you can do whatever you want. That's how awesome this is. All the head master asks is to help him eliminate the scum ruining this world."

"Head master? You mean Jung Su?"

"No, Jung Su acts like it, but he's not really in charge, he's just the oldest. The head master is the one calling the shots. He saved a lot of us." Baku was being sincere, Mitsuro could tell. "We owe that man a great debt for that."

"So, he's controlling you through some debt? Forcing you to do his bidding because you owe him?"

"What? Of course not, each one of us is here by choice. We can leave anytime we want, and so can you."

Mitsuro cocked an eyebrow. "Really? I could go to the police, expose this whole operation. Get you all locked away forever."

Baku paused, looking genuinely worried. Then he laughed again, but far harder than before. "Oh, please, Mitsuro, _You_? Go to the police in the Earth Kingdom?"

Mitsuro had no choice but to smile. He would never turn to the cops. He'd done enough to get himself locked in prison for life as well, if not executed.

"And that's not even the best part. You think anyone would believe you? They'd think you're crazy."

"How is that?"

"You didn't read the sign when you came in? This a _legitimate _school for orphans named after the former chief of Water Tribe. No cop would ever believe you, not to mention you wouldn't have a lick of evidence to back you up. Not everybody here is in on this, it's really easy to cover it up when only ten people tops in a total of about a hundred are on the in crowd. This is an organization within an organization."

The Earth Kingdom was still the same as it was during the war, Mitsuro realized.

"So, what do you say? Want to help make some more fireworks?"

Mitsuro thought about it. He did say that he wouldn't stop at killing the Avatar. _Everything the World Reborn Act created would crumble_; that was also his oath, his mission, his drive. Here he was presented with the chance to do that with an entire organization supporting him. If worse came to worse, he could walk away. He could never trust them completely after how he was treated, but he would never forgive himself for letting this opportunity pass him by.

"I'm in."

Mitsuro felt heavy breathing on the back of his neck. He turned and was looking straight into Po's hairy torso.

How does someone this big and heavy move so silently?

He was holding all of Mitsuro's arrows. Mitsuro looked at Baku, who gave a quick nod. He didn't seem mad at the man for knocking him out. Come to think of it, Baku never got mad at anything, even all those years ago.

Mitsuro apprehensively took the arrows from the large man. Then Po did something that made Mitsuro do a double take: Po spoke.

"Forgive me for earlier, sir. I was acting under Sifu Jung Su's orders. I hope you bare me no ill will." His voice was surprisingly even and normal, like someone half his size was speaking. His tone was a genuinely polite one, and to emphasis his intent Po bowed.

Mitsuro slipped his bows into the quiver. "Don't worry about it." He didn't say "I forgive you". It was intentional because he wouldn't have meant it.

At some point, Mitsuro would get payback on Jung Su and Po. But, for now he decided to forget about why did they put him through a life threatening challenge just to test his archery prowess.

"Alright, enough of that, let's go get you healed up."

Healed up?

Mitsuro had completely forgotten about his side, but now that he did, the pain returned too. Strange how that works.

They light in the arena dimmed as clouds rolled through the sky.

It would be raining soon. Mitsuro hated the rain. It made archery next to impossible. Hopefully, he could get finish here back to the apartment before it starts.

After this crazy day, he could use a hot shower, and maybe spend some _quality _time with Rei. Let some frustration out on her.

Mitsuro always would like that.

_**Okano valley, two miles north of Bumi City…**_

The rain fell in sheets. An unrelenting torrent that sought to drive all things into the ground or drown them in floodwaters. The high winds drove the rain in all directions. Rendering umbrellas, or in this case, gasas, useless. Anyone standing in the rain would be soaked from head to and pummeled by the wind.

None of that mattered.

Nothing mattered.

All that mattered was the two small circles of rock and the thin strips that connected them to the cliff.

Lightning cut through the air so close to the cliff face the hair on the back of Ezeru's neck stood on end, but he did not waver. Not even slightly.

If Ezeru let up on his bending even a little, he would plummet to his _likely _death.

But, Ezeru would not let up. He had been training with this method for years. Now, the only actual challenge in this was how long he could hold this position. How long could he hold this horse stance without moving? The longest he had ever stood like this was half a day.

When Ezeru could hold himself like this for a full one, then his training would be complete. If he never reached that goal, then he would never stop training. For Ezeru it really was not about goal fulfillment.

Through the wind. Through insect bites. Through straying animals. Even through curious people, nothing could make Ezeru move. Nothing could break his control.

Control. Ezeru could not afford to lose it.

Not even once. Because when he does, people get hurt. People can die.

And so, on the two suspended stones in the driving rain…

Ezeru stands.

_Chapter 8: TBA_


	9. Chapter 8: Hidden Agendas, Part 1

_Chapter 8: Hidden Agendas Part 1: The Red Striker_

The Red Striker. The Untouchable. The self-proclaimed Great One. The Faceless Phenom. The Backstabber. The Sellout.

Those words resonate today as much as they did four years ago. How couldn't they? For a brief period of time, he was the most famous person on the planet. A fact evident when other famous people came from hundreds of miles away just to see him perform. That's what it was: a performance, a spectacle, a show.

A show that caught the attention of the entire world. Perhaps even more so because of the football player known only by one letter was just that: known only by one letter. A man who stood in front of thousands, but never showed his face…

_**Four years ago…**_

The South Ba Sing Se football team was in the middle of practice. They had just come off a 1-0 loss to the team from Omashu. The empty stadium was all to familiar to the team, so it was an almost game time atmosphere that evening. All was going at a normal pace until a strange person wearing a bandanna over his face and hair ran onto the field and stole the ball from the goalie's hands.

No one knew what to make of it as he jogged to centerfield. Confused looks were passed among the players and staff, the assistant coach started calling for security, but the head coach held stopped him.

"Wait; let's see where this goes first." He saw something in the way he ran in front of that pass so effortlessly, and even now he still saw it. Or rather he didn't see it: a total lack of effort in his stride.

The masked man dropped the ball to the ground in the middle, placed his foot on top of it, and shouted "You want this ball? Come take it from me!"

The teams starting striker, Wong, shook his head and called to the masked man, "What is this some kind of joke?"

In a voice that gave every indication of a smile on his hidden face he said, "No, the only joke out here is you guys."

Wong didn't like the insult and neither did anyone else, especially after the kind of season they just came off of. He started stomping to the intruder. "Fine, weirdo."

As Wong got closer, the masked stranger didn't even budge. He stood arms folded, foot on top of the ball. Even when Wong stood right in front of him, he never moved. The masked person was at least a head shorter than Wong. Either it was some kid, or a very short man, the coach thought.

They stared at each other for a few moments before Wong finally said, "Well? Aren't you going to do something?"

The masked person shrugged. "I was about to ask you the same thing. You're the one who wants the ball from me." He looked away coyly.

Wong lunged for the ball, trying to take advantage of his cockiness. His hands caught nothing but air.

The ball shot up and smacked him square in the nose.

He cried out and staggered back, clutching his face. The punk! "You little-"

When Wong took away his hand, he could only see movement as the masked ball thief streaked past him. His teammates came rushing to his aid, or to beat the living snot out of this weasel-cat. Wong hoped it was the latter.

It wasn't, they were trying to take the ball from him. And failing.

The other striker tried a sliding tackle, but the masked man flicked the ball over his down body, then followed it with a jump.

Each person who came to defend against him, was humiliated by footwork and ball control that dwarfed Wong's by far.

He'd never seen anything like it in his life.

Finally, after the other nine men on the team-including Wong who tried to sneak up behind him, only to be clutching at air again as he did a quick spin move-had been exhausted by trying to stop him, it was just the masked man, the goalie, and Jin Li were left.

Jin Li, an Earth Kingdom native, was a long time captain of the South Ba Sing Se squad. He was considered one of the most physical, toughest fullbacks to ever play the game. He was a defensive specialist in the truest sense. The only time the opposing team could score goals on him, was when he subbed out of the game to rest.

He had watched every single one of his teammates get beaten, letting them go first. Now, he had him, Wong thought.

"Give me the ball." he said in a gruff voice.

The masked man chuckled. "Weren't you paying attention? If you want this ball, take it from me."

"No. Play time is over, little man."

"Over? Oh no, not by a long shot. Of all these people, you're the one I wanted to go up against the most."

"I won't repeat myself."

"And I won't repeat myself either."

Jin Li shook his head and stepped towards the masked man. And then he stepped past him, not making any attempt at taking the ball that was laying on the ground right in front of him. "Then, keep the ball. There's a dozen more like it in the equipment locker."

"That's true enough. Except, I'm not sure what good they'll do all flat and deflated," the person said with a chuckle.

Jin Li stopped, his face went red. Whether it was from embarrassment or angry, Wong didn't know. He looked over his shoulder. "Fine, you can have the ball and the field too." To the rest of the team he shouted, "Hit the showers, men! Practice is done for the day!"

Wong, still grabbing his busted nose, grated, "What? You're just going to leave and let this punk-"

"Wong, if we keep playing his little game, we're only embarrassing ourselves by stooping to his level. We don't have anything to prove, so neither do I. I've already gotten him and his moves figured out anyway. This guy is beneath us, so why bother? Now, let's go get some ice on that nose."

Wong wanted to protest but gave in anyway. "Fine."

Slowly, the rest of the team began hobbling off the field too.

"No wonder you guys suck so bad! You've got a spineless, coward as your team captain!"

Jin Li squared around at that remark, fuming. "What did you say?"

"Oh, you heard me. 'Only embarrassing ourselves by stooping to my level'? Sounds like a cowardly cop out. Seems to me that you're afraid to face me one on one. Got my moves figured out, huh? Then it should be a snap to steal this ball from me."

Jin Li let out a long breathe. "Alright. You asked for it."

"Good, what do you say we make an actual game out of it?"

"Whatever, little man."

They started from midfield. The stranger would try to get the ball past Jin Li and had the added challenge of beating the goalie. If either stopped him or the ball, he'd lose. The only way to win was to score.

He was purposefully stacking the odds against himself.

Wong didn't know if he was just that confident, or just that insane.

The intruder started off by passing the ball back and forth between his feet.

Jin Li wasn't giving any ground. He wasn't even making attempts on the ball, he just watched and moved.

The masked man made his move, cutting left. Jin Li was still in front of him. Still watching.

The masked ball handler squared himself, backing away from Jin Li. He ran his foot over the top of the ball, making it bounce towards him.

It was a low sealing dribble. The ball bounced off his knee and he shot forward again, continuing the attack.

Jin Li, nearly falling for it, recovered in time to head him off again. The masked man pulled up, stepping back slowly.

Everyone from the ball boys to the owner of the team himself was watching. Even the security looked on even though they were supposed to be dragging the intruder off.

Starting to breathe a bit harder, Jin Li said, "I told you, playtime is over."

He shrugged. "You're right. Time to stop playing around with this little warm up."

"Warm up?"

The answer came in acceleration. Jin Li was left flat-footed as the masked man blew by him. The crowd let out a collective gasp.

Jin Li tried to give chase, but he was already so far behind, he wasn't going to make it in time to stop the shot.

Before entering the painted square in front of the goal, which was known as the "redzone", the masked man pulled up, turned around, and _waited_ for Jin Li to catch up.

Utter confusion and disbelief was all over his face. He started to say chide him for his arrogance, but the ball coming straight at his face-

Jin Li's reflexes were much sharper than Wong's. He caught the ball before it hit him. His head jerked and his eyes blinked involuntarily.

At the same time, he felt a foot pressing on his thigh and the ball being swept out of his hands. Now off balance, he fell hard on his back.

He just managed to see the intruder land on his feet from what had to be some kind of back flip as the ball flew past the diving goalie's fingertips.

"That's game, old man," he said with a smirk.

Jin Li wanted to throttle him for humiliating him, but at the same time, he was awestruck.

The coaches, the players, and especially Jin Li knew that this was a spectacular talent, but could they really let him sign on to the team? Jin Li was against it and so was Wong, but the final saw came not from the coaches. The owner saw something that made his eyes light up, and by that evening, the masked stranger was a member of the South Ba Sing Se team. It was something of a problem to do, though because he adamantly refused not to give his real name or to take off the bandanas that concealed his face.

He finally decided for everyone to just call him "D". His jersey number was 1 and he quickly replaced Wong as the starting left striker.

Even more unusual about his refusal to give a proper name, was him claiming to want the bare minimum salary. He claimed that he wasn't doing this for money.

A concept that made no sense to anyone in management.

D quickly fell out of favor with the coaches by not showing up to any prior practices, but he had no problems in showing up to the next game, a home game versus the team from the port city of Taolin. Acting under team guidelines, the coach refused to play him. D-who was wearing a red fabric mask over his face now instead of the bandanas-simply shrugged and sat on the bench. Part of his mouth was exposed thanks to the mask, so the coach could see that he was smirking to himself.

The Taolin squad was a strong team offensively and Jin Li's best efforts couldn't stop everyone. It was midway through the 2nd period and the South Ba Sing Se team was down 7-0. It was a common sight for the team. They lived and died on Jin Li's defense, but no one was a competent scorer. It's the prime reason they lost nearly all of their games the previous year without scoring a goal and is also the reason why they didn't win any games at all period. Often their only hope was to finish in a tie. Their record of 0-14-2 was easily the worst in the league.

The owner, watching from the sidelines, couldn't bare the thought of another losing season. He stormed up to the coach, "Why isn't D playing?"

"He didn't show up to practice, so he won't play today."

"I didn't sign him so he could sit on the bench! Pull Wong and send him in."

"But-"

"No, buts! If you don't start him, then you can leave your clipboard right here and leave right now!" His threat delivered he walked away.

The coach looked at the scoreboard. "Fine, doesn't matter anyway, this game is already lost," he grumbled to himself. He called a time out, and then said, "D, you're in."

D was laid back on the bench, his hands behind his head, staring at the sky. He did a kip up so fast, the coach didn't know how he didn't give himself whiplash. "About time you saw the light, coach," he said as he jogged past, patting him on the chest with the back of his hand.

Wong strode over to the coach as the ball was put back into play, "What good will that do? No matter how quick he is, this game is over anyway."

The coach sighed. "I know. But, the owner wanted him in the game so I had no-"

A loud "WooooooooEE!" from D and the shouts of all 230 in the stadium brought the coaches and Wong's attention to the field.

"What the…did D just score?" a bench player asked in disbelief.

The score was now 7-1.

D ran back into position. Perfect position. The team used a special defensive formation, one they practiced constantly so everyone knew their zone responsibilities. D didn't attend any practices and shouldn't know where to line up, but there he was.

And off he went.

He jumped and stole a pass and streaked up field. Three defenders converged on him.

In a move that could only be described by the coach and players later interviewed as "like he had the ball on an invisible string" he split the defense and kicked another strike that the goalie couldn't react in time to stop.

7-2

The other team had subbed in most of their backups, and the opposing coach, when asked after the game, "We weren't worried about two quick scores." He was worried, however, when D stole another pass and made another goal. Letting out the same whooping cry from before.

7-3

All the starters were back on the field, but it didn't matter.

The crowd was going crazy and so was the sideline as D scored again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

The final score: 10-7

The coach was quoted as saying, "I don't know who that red striker was, but without a doubt he was the best player on the field today."

That was the first official instance of The Red Striker being used, and so the legendary season began.

In the span of just one period and a half, D had scored more points by himself than the team had scored all of last season. And most importantly, he stopped the team's winless streak which dated back nearly two years.

The next game was more of the same. This time D started, and he nearly doubled his scoring, with a league record 13 goals, all on his own, in a rematch against the same Taolin team in Taolin.

When the South Ba Sing Se team returned back home, the crowed was in the thousands. Word about the pint sized, whooping wonder quickly spread and people streamed into the stadium just to see D play.

Team after team would try to contain him, but the only success was keeping him under 7 goals. His offensive domination often overshadowed how dangerous he was as a defender. He typically had 3 or 4 steals a game as well.

Attendance skyrocketed. A team that would be lucky to have 400 people watch them play, didn't have enough seats in the 24,000 seat stadium. As word spread about D, newspapers reporters from all around the Earth Kingdom. Some from the Fire Nation would attend games start inquiring about who the infamous Red Striker really was as much about how dominate he was on the field.

With all of this attention, D gave every indication of loving the spotlight.

His physical skills weren't enough to humiliate his opponents. He turned a game played mostly in silence, with the only on the field communication between teammates, into a verbal battle.

In a game against the Bumi City team, he was quoted as saying to an opposing defender: "Hey, hey you! Yeah you! I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Once Auel inbounds the ball: I'm going to charge right at you, fake left, go right, play the ball around behind me, use my heel to flip it up and over both of our heads, run around you, trap the ball with my chest, volley it through your legs, run around you to the ball again, all before I kick the ball through into the net with my instep. And I think I should tell you now, that you'll probably break your ankle if you try to stop me, so be a good _loser_ and just watch me do it. The fans will really love it."

The opposing defenseman's lips twisted in spite, and then he snorted. "Like the pit you will."

"Hey, it's not my ankle."

The ball was inbounded and 5 seconds later the defenseman was writhing on the ground, clutching his fractured ankle, while a shrugging Darlo told his teammates, "Hey, I warned him."

He even began giving the other teams "handicaps". Like saying he'd play the entire game with one arm literally tied behind his back, only kicking or touching the ball with a specific foot, or only scoring from outside of the redzone. And after each score, he'd do his celebration cry or he'd jog the around the field, arms held straight out at his sides like wings.

It all only heightened the fans' excitement, eagerly waiting to see what stunt or crazy idea he'd do next.

Defying all expectations they won 7 straight games, giving them the best record in the league at 7-1.

That would be put to the test as the tougher opponents came into play.

Going into the first match up with the Omashu team, D, when asked by a reporter what did he think of them, told reporters, "Why should I be so worried about a bunch of women? What are they going to do to warriors like us?" He paused, thinking about what he just said. "You know, we should be like the old army corps that would give themselves cool call names. Yeah! from now on, we should be called the South Ba Sing Se Warriors. In fact, drop the South from our name too, because the _other_ guys' time at the top is over. This is our city now! WOOOO!!!"

That was all it took. Before that one statement, every team went by their city or town to identify them, but the owner of the South Ba Sing Se team embraced the idea. The Ba Sing Se Warriors were the first team in the league to name themselves.

Not to be outdone, the cross city rivals adopted the name The Ba Sing Se Titans. And almost at the same time, the Omashu team became the Kings of Omashu, or just The Omashu Kings. All the other teams quickly followed suit.

It was a ripple effect that stretched even into the Fire Nation league and even into different sports. All bore team names.

With the best teams in the league looming, up until then, D played with the benefit of being physically far faster and quicker than everyone else, but the upper echelon players of North Ba Sing Se, Omashu, Kanko, and Shobu would be an entirely different group of players.

Or rather, that's what newspaper writers, fans, and other organizations thought.

When the level of competition rose, so did D's play. But, not in goals scored.

Up until the first game against the Shobu Lion-Turtles, D was also known for not passing at all. He'd often ignore open players to take a shot from a bad angle or during the rare occasion he was well defended, which sometimes were blocked or saved by the goalie. At the end of an 11-4 game against the Gwanju Bay Sea Serpents, an opposing player told D as they left the field, "You do nothing but shoot; I bet you don't even know how to pass."

D paused, seemingly affected by the Gwanju player's words. He turned with a smirk and said, "I don't know how to pass huh? Okay, you're on. Thanks in advance too, because now I'm going to pad my stats even more!"

From that moment on, D became an exclusive passer.

That completely destroyed the Shobu's gameplan to commit multiple players to trap him. The Warriors went on to win 5-0 with all 5 goals coming off of D assists.

The trend continued as they finished the season perfect after D joined at 15-1-0. They had beaten all the top contenders for the title and was the top seeded team heading into the playoffs, solely thanks to D's efforts.

Often overlooked was Jin Li. In the game against Shobu, he blocked 6 shots on goal from a team with a lot of prolific scorers of their own yet week in and week out, all attention was on D.

Jin Li had spent each of his 15 seasons playing for the team, and was used to being the best player. Tried and true fans of the sport would ask for his autograph, even in other cities. Jin Li got respect from every other player and fan. They all knew of his efforts on a very bad team. But, now everything was different.

He was just another "helper" to the show D ran. The fans only wanted to get autographs from D. Reporters came to him and never asked about how _he_ played, it was all about D:

"What is it like playing with someone of his caliber?"

"Has D revealed his true identify to you?"

"How does D get away from the stadium unseen every time?"

"D this."

"D that."

"D D D D D."

He never wanted him to sign with the team in the first place and thought even less of a player who didn't have the decency to show up for practices. The last thing Jin Li wanted was to spend all of his time talking about the "Great One."

Thanks to D, Jin Li was introduced to a whole new concept: fangirls.

Teenage girls who'd come to the games not only to see D play, but to scream-literally- about their love, affection, and in some cases, to beg him to marry them.

The owner even pandered to them, having a raffle where the winner gets to go on a date with D.

It was sickening.

And as if to add further aggravation, his own daughter was one of them. He made sure her raffle ticket found its way to the trash. He'd be _damned_ before let his daughter anywhere near D.

D represented everything Jin Li was against. As team captain, he demanded discipline, order, and respect from his team. D didn't have a disciplined bone in his body.

It revolted Jin Li that he was even on the same team as D.

But, upset about it all as he was, Jin Li knew that D gave them a great chance to win the title. For the sake of the team, he'd have to swallow his pride, and he was willing to do it...

Until the coach announced that during the playoffs and for the foreseeable future, D was going to be the new captain of the team.

It threw him over the edge. He erupted. Being the captain of the team was an honor Jin Li held with high regard and he knew D wasn't fit or deserving of. D was quick to suggest he just couldn't handle being a subordinate to him.

In a move that shocked everyone, Jin Li took a hard swing at D. Trying to punch his head off, but D's fighting reflexes were just as sharp as his playing ones.

Jin Li wound up punching thin air as D ducked the oncoming punch and swept Jin Li's feet out from under him. Jin Li fell hard, breaking a wooden bench.

The team quickly jumped between, separating them. D backed away, holding his hands up, a clear smirk visible. "Hey, _he_ swung on _me_."

Wong tried to help him to his feet but Jin Li tore himself away. "I don't need your damn help! I don't need _any_ of this anymore! If you want this little punk to be your captain, fine. But, I refuse to be a part of this team with him!"

Without listening to any words of persuasion, Jin Li stormed out of the locker room.

He'd never again wear the Ba Sing Se Warrior uniform again.

The first playoff game against the Omashu Kings was a hard fought battle. D's defense didn't help as much as the team would've liked. He excelled at intercepting passes and cutting off attack lanes not on ball defense. Without Jin Li's man to man defense to create the forced passes that D so often stole, the Kings' team offense looked unstoppable and they went into the 3rd period up 4-2.

D, just before play resumed, looked at the scoreboard and said to the head coach, "If it's alright with you? I think I'll take this game over now."

And take over the game D did. Utterly forgoing the offensive and defensive gameplan, D played all over the field. D went as far out of position as blocking shots from within the redzone and, reverting to his early season self, refusing to pass to anyone and running the full length of the field, weaving between defenders like they were standing still, before scoring on a booming shot from 30 yards away.

The home crowd went wild.

From there, the game was a run away. D scored 3 more goals and the Warriors would get a 6-4 win.

The Ba Sing Se Titans also won their playoff match up against Shobu, setting up a cross city championship game.

The city was a buzz with anticipation. The championship game is always held in a different host city each year, and this year it was prescheduled to be held in the 200,000 seat Grand Coliseum in Ba Sing Se. Not only would both of the cities teams be in the championship game, but they would be playing in their home city.

The 2 week layoff for the game came with celebrations and events. People from all over the world were gathering in anticipation of this game. The Fire Lord and Water Chiefs were all going to attend.

It was the greatest acknowledgement of a single event since the Avatar's death.

This game would also mark the debut of sonicus broadcasting. The game could now be heard anywhere in the city with a sonicus receiver and even as far away as Gwanju Bay thanks to the expansive system of wooden poles and wires strung up all over the Earth Kingdom.

The winner of this marquee matchup would be remembered for a long time.

For D a win would propel him into a level of fame only a select few people can achieve without being the Avatar.

D was never one to shy away from the spotlight, yet the week before the big game, teammates began to notice very different behavior in D. Namely, when he showed up for mourning walkthroughs. D, who had never attended a single practice as a player, stretched, ran sprints, and the position drills the team had done all season.

No one knew what prompted this, and when asked, D never said anything to anyone. An even more unusual behavior for the normally talkative D.

He further shocked his teammates when he showed up for afternoon practice as well. And again, he gave no reason why he was there. He even declined speaking to inquiring reporters.

Wong, when asked about it, said, "I'm not even sure it's the same guy. He's always wearing those long sleeves, gloves, and that mask; it could be someone else under there."

It may or may not have been D, but it confused everyone nonetheless.

Gameday came with little or no fanfare from D. Even though he was wearing new heavier mask made of metal, he never mentioned it. He did speak during the pregame conference between both teams, but very candidly, saying that he just intended to go out and play hard. His voice seemed almost, melancholic compared to his normal jovial tone.

Even when the opposing coach teased that they had a secret weapon to utterly neutralize him, D just shrugged and said, "Whatever."

The stadium was roaring so loud when the ball was put into play, it could literally be heard from the lower rings, and in a city of Ba Sing Se's size that's a feat.

In a shock, D choose not to be in the faceoff. Auel, the midfielder, had to do it. He won, took control of the ball, and passed it to D, but it was quickly stolen from him. D gave little to no effort as it was advanced. The ensuing shot was saved by the goalie, but D scarcely moved.

He looked almost in a trance…

Wong ran to him. "You awake? They nearly scored!"

"Yeah, sorry, I just…lost focus I guess," he sounded doubtful to Wong, almost…saddened.

"Lost focus?"

The edge in his voice returned, though only slightly. "Don't worry about me, you just take care of you."

His next touch seemed more like himself, as he cut and spun his way into the open field. He was displaying the electrifying speed, agility, and ball handling that made him so dangerous, but his shot was too high.

What was with him?

The first period ended 0-0 and the crowed began to boo. They didn't come to see a defensive struggle. They wanted to see these two offensive powerhouses do what they do best.

The second period began, and it was time for the Titans to display their secret weapon. A familiar face, who until then had sat on the bench with at towel covering his head, ran onto the field. The crowed threw into frenzy when his name was said over the loud speaker: "Now entering the game, left defenseman, number 20, _Jin Li_."

He walked right up to D. "Good to see you again, punk."

D, not being himself again, said nothing.

The referee blew the whistle for the players to get ready and Jin Li promptly slammed his shoulder into D's chest as he ran into position. D staggered, and looked around, looking for a referee to call a penalty, but no one was looking.

D opted to be in the faceoff this time and he won easily. As he advanced, Jin Li was tight on him. Playing him far closer than anyone else had, reaching out and shoving him, trying to muscle him off the ball.

D managed to separate from him and make a play for the goal, but Jin Li performed a sliding tackle that caught far more of D's leg than the ball. D hit the ground rolling as the ref called the foul.

D got up with a slight limp and a slouch in his narrow shoulders.

Whatever was going on in his head, it was showing all over his play.

Similar to D playing out of position, Jin Li followed D everywhere he went, not letting him get a free moment to even breathe. It was a struggle all game, as Jin Li bumped and harassed D. It was something no other team had done, no one had gotten as physical as Jin Li was and the results were clear.

Going into the final period, D had only 4 shots on goal. For D, he usually scored that many times by then.

The definitive turning point game came 1:18 before the end of the game. As D tried to steal a pass, Jin Li lashed out with a hard elbow to D's forehead. It landed flush and knocked D off his feet, twisting him over onto his stomach.

The ref blew the play dead. He drew Jin Li a red card, ejecting him from the game. He looked down on the motionless D. "Oops." The arm he struck D with hung limp at his side as he walked off the field. He hit D so hard, it fractured a bone in his arm.

A hush fell on the crowd as the team doctors ran onto the field. They began to turn him over onto his back, but he finally moved, climbing to his knees.

A medic reached for D's mask. "Are you okay? Let's get that mask off and-"

D tried and failed to grab the medic's hand, so he just knocked it away. "No! The mask stays on! I'm fine." He kept shaking his head as he grimaced in pain. He touched his mask and felt the big dent Jin Li's elbow made and muttered something to himself about crappy metal.

"With all due respect, I can't in good consciousness-"

"Then do it in bad consciousness and get the hell away from me!" He snapped as he hoped to his feet. It was an awkward motion, almost like a drunk person trying to walk home. He wobbled, nearly falling over again before he caught himself.

The head coach went out to him. "That's all for you, D. Let's get you to the bench and get you some help."

D seemed to compose himself more. He turned to the coach. "I said no! I can play through this. This is nothing."

"D, you're talking to the ball boy."

"Doesn't matter," he waved to the crowd. They responded with a roar. To the coach he said, "There's no way I'm missing this. I'm good. Seriously."

"Are you sure?"

A ball was a few yards away. He took a running start and kicked it as hard as he could. It sailed over 40 yards through the air and into the empty net.

"As sure as it gets!"

Unable to deny that his playing skill hadn't suffered thanks to the blow to the head, the coach agreed, though as he apprehensively eyed exactly where D had just kicked the ball. It didn't seem like much at the time, but that would serve as a grim foreshadowing of what would happen next.

Thanks to the rules against players faking injury to buy time in the final two minutes of a game, D would have to come out of the game until his team gained possession of the ball. Taking advantage of D's absence, the Titans planned to hold the ball for as long as possible. If they held the ball until the final buzzer, a final shootout would ensue and, as per the rules, only players currently on the field when regulation ended would get to participate. If the Warriors didn't get a steal and call their final timeout so they can sub in D, they'd be forced to go into the shootout without him.

Only 15 seconds remained when Wong made a huge play, performing a sliding tackle near the sidelines and making the ball bounce off a Titan player before it rolled out of bounds. The crowd, aware of the situation went crazy. D, who was still grabbing at his face, didn't even seem to notice.

The coach had to grab his shoulder and shove him onto the field. "You're in! You're in!"

"Right. Time to put this game in the bag!"

The ref handed the ball to the inbounder, who passed the ball directly to D.

_14…_

A Titan forward stepped in front and stole the ball.

_13…12..._

D, using his quickness, maneuvered in front of _him_ and stole it back, he bumped the player in the process spinning him around.

_11…10…_

D regained himself and streaked up field. The stadium itself was shaking!

_9…_

The Warrior sideline started screaming at D.

_8…7…_

Players on the field began shouting, as he faked one way and went the other.

He was running down the field with little to no resistance.

_6…5…_

He was within a few feet, he could've kicked it then, but he pressed closer.

_4…3…_

The goalie rushed forward, waving his hands in front of him then he jumped when he saw D's leg rear back ready for a power shot.

_2…_

D's leg came forward with half the speed it seemed it was going to and lifted the ball just over the goalie's fingertips. The ball bounced behind him.

1…

It broke the plane of the goal threshold.

0.

"WoooooooEEE!"

The game was over!

Final score: 1-0!

D had just won the championship!

For the Titans.

The Ba Sing Se Titans were the league champions, thanks to D…

It was the most famous own goal in history. Never before had an own goal not only been the only goal of the game, but it came as regulation expired.

What happened to D after that was a total mystery. Without even facing his livid teammates or fans, he ran away. He ran off the field. Running even faster, if that was at all possible, out of the stadium. Fans closet to the exit, drunk and angry, leapt down and tried to catch him, but they didn't stand a chance of running him down.

D was gone.

Behind him he left a stunned Warrior team that couldn't believe what just happened and a mass of spectators who just witnessed something they truly would never forget.

He also left behind one other thing: his red, metal mask.

The one thing that became just as big, if not bigger, as watching D's games was _betting_ on D's games. Thousands of people who had bet on the Warriors to win it all would now be forced to pay up because the man they had bet on threw the game away.

With no explanation and D's sudden exit, rumors of D throwing the game on purpose soon were treated as fact. Former fans turned on D, vilifying him. The throngs of fangirls that once swarmed stadiums, burned everything with his image on it they owned in the streets.

Reports of dozens of young men, who matched D's body type, were found badly beaten and in some cases to death.

Soon, no one referred to him by the name he choose for himself, but as The Red Striker. The red no longer referring to the color of the mask's he wore, but for the blood shed because of him.

The wave of momentum the Warriors rode turned into a wave of scandal. To save themselves the trouble of having to deal with constant questions, they officially released D, The Red Striker from the roster.

The next season came and the football world reset to the way it was before D ever showed up. Only now the Warriors were without D and Jin Li, who retired after finally winning a championship.

The Warriors finished with the worst record in the league and the Titans again won the championship.

Though the entire league tried to pretend the last season never happened, D's impact still remained. A new emphasis on finding talent with speed and agility began. The teams still use the nicknames they adopted because of him. Players celebrated scoring goals more and several ball handling moves D was renowned for were now being worked into other player's offensive repertoire.

Though the majority would give the assumption, opinions weren't all universally against D. There still remained a few people who liked D regardless of what he did during that game.

People like Master Toph Bei Fong.

She was one of his biggest fans, maybe even could be counted as one of D's fangirls. When she heard of his play, she had to "see" him in person. After the first game he played in, she had front row seats. She made sure she was at ground level during every home game and even a fair share of away games.

She'd often bring Olan along with her to games, though he personally was more into books and insects and often only paid attention to the game when something exciting happened. And everywhere Olan went, Hanori was with him. Though Hanori wouldn't admit it, she was just as amazed by D as Master Toph or any other person was.

During times when Olan was more concerned about finding the next breed of insect or reading about past murder cases, Hanori would convince Olan to see the games with Master Toph.

She was just as shocked as anyone during the championship game, and was somewhat saddened when D disappeared. Four years passed, and unfortunately, so had Master Toph. D then seemed like a distant and forgotten memory.

But, her memory would be quickly jogged when one mourning she woke up and looked at a skyscraper across the street.

She recognized it almost instantly. She'd seen it before. Just before the championship game.

Back then it was an empty red mask on a massive white tarp with a date written on the bottom, the date of the championship game. It was one of many advertisements about D that were put up all over the city.

Now, the mask was the same, but the original date had been crossed out and a new date was crudely scrawled over it with dripping red paint, almost resembling blood.

What could this mean? Why _that_ date?

Dozens of questions swirled around inside of her head, but she couldn't begin to answer them.

But, she knew who might.

She ran to the bathroom to take a fast shower.

Olan was going to have to wake up early today.

_**Elsewhere…**_

Darlo stood directly underneath the tarp that he hadn't seen in over 4 years. He noted the date.

That was just a week from now. And it came on quite another big event as well.

"Good mourning, Ba Sing Se!" A booming voice echoed through the city. Too loud to be from anything but a sonicus megaphone. It was coming from the top of the skyscraper that the old advertisement hung from. Darlo squinted and could make out a tiny shape, the rising sun glinted red off his metallic mask. "It is I, the man you know as D, The Red Striker!"

It was early, but people on the streets all stared aghast. Darlo could hear doors opening and closing as people came outside to see what the commotion was about.

The possibilities of what this could mean made Darlo's eyes light up. He couldn't wait to see what happens next.

A smirk slowly spread across his face.

_To be continued…_


	10. Chapter 9: Action

_Chapter 9: Action_

_**Ba Sing Se Library's Grand Archive…**_

Warrant Officer Shen was told that his title implied being specialized. Being a warrant officer meant he wasn't a normal soldier and his duties wouldn't mirror his colleagues.

That's what they told him.

What they didn't tell him that his particular specialization would be a security guard for a bunch of dusty scrolls, books, and whatever else was in here.

This wasn't what Shen joined the army for. Sure, the war was over before he was old enough to talk, but that didn't mean everyone was doing something as boring as this. This was pointless, and he hardly saw the sense in having two round the clock sentry here.

Okay, maybe he did.

The archive contained important information and did need to be guarded, as well as the entire library, but it wasn't so much the guarding of this place that made no sense to Shen, it was that it somehow was the military's responsibility?

Couldn't they just get a private company to do it? Never mind the archive had only two access points, one of which was locked shut at night. All they had to do was lock both at night and not waste manpower on something so unnecessary.

He would go vocal with his objection, but he seemed to be completely alone in his stance and he wasn't about to challenge the military by himself. Not to mention he already failed in his efforts as far as trying to convert the other guard in this place, old man Tzang.

"Just shut up and do your job, soldier," he had said. "If someone got their hands on the files in here, they could topple the infrastructure of the Earth Kingdom!"

An exaggeration if you're being lenient.

Tzang was part of the infamous discipline age during the war. If anyone ranked captain or higher strode in and ordered him to drop his pants, march around the city, and whistle the national anthem, he'd do it and not feel the slightest bit of shame or embarrassment.

It seemed that Shen would be at this post for the foreseeable future.

The foreseeable future…

The foreseeable future was on everyone's tongue now thanks to a certain blast from the past.

D, the Red Striker, appeared out of nowhere yesterday mourning on top of a building with an old ad banner on it. He set up a sonicus system and told everyone about a special announcement he'd make that would "Change the world".

Shen chuckled. Leave it to that blowhard to make a big announcement to say he's going to make _another _big announcement.

D was lucky he managed to get off that rooftop safely. There are still people who would really like to skin him alive. Shen made a small bet on that game and lost a little money, but he didn't care about it anymore. That anyone really was still that upset about that game boggled his mind. Shen chuckled again as he wondered if Tzang was still upset. He knew he made a big bet on that game too.

Now everyone wondered what this big announcement was about, and if it had anything to do with the other big event that same day.

Tzang would probably say they should cancel it just in case, but the old man didn't understand this new world at all. It was a forever moving engine and a little thing like D wouldn't stop it.

Speaking of which, where is Tzang? Shen wondered. It was Tzang's night to make the rounds; checking all the locks, looking for signs of intruders, that sort of thing. Tzang followed the once every hour schedule to a "T" and it was 15 minutes past midnight and he hadn't seen him shuffling by yet.

That's completely unlike him. He'd usually come by 5 minutes or so past the top of the hour, and he was never off by much.

Shen shook his head and muttered, "The old fart didn't die did he?" Stifling a tired yawn, Shen decided to go check on him and bent over and reached for his gasa.

He hated wearing the stupid thing at night. This part of the building was kept balmy to help preserve the ancient scrolls and the gasa made his head sweat, so he normally took it off unless he heard Tzang shuffling by.

Before his fingers could close around the rim, Shen felt something hit the side of his neck. A low grunt of shock escaped his lips and tried to reach for the dart that had appeared in his neck.

The arm never made it as all his strength left him.

Helpless and weak, he slumped to the ground as the intense desire to sleep flooded over him. Through the foggy haze drowning out his sense he heard light, clicking footsteps…

Like…his wife's high heels…

Consciousness returned to Shen all at once, like someone flipping a switch. He snapped to his feet. Not even the slightest bit of drowsiness left. He ripped out the dart, which hurt so bad he gagged on his own caught breathe, and immediately scanned around him.

Nothing except an empty hallway, a square of white drew his eyes to the ceiling. Orange tinted light crept through a small hole just above a supporting arch for the curved ceiling. He knew that wasn't there before, but he also noticed the light.

Dawn? Was he out all night?

He ran to the nearest sonicus line on the wall and removed the receiver. "Intruder alert! Intruder alert! There's been a breech in…" Shen stopped. His voice should be going over the loudspeaker, alerting other guards, and eventually informing the authorities. But, there was nothing except slight echoes coming from his own lungs. He tried again but got nothing. Did they cut the wires?

Shen cursed and ran up the corridor; he turned a corner and saw a body lying on the floor. "Tzang!"

He slid on his knees to Tzang's body and shook him. "Tzang, are you alright?"

A low groan escaped his lips. His eyes fluttered open, but where glassy and blank. The same kind of dart was in the back of his neck. He tried getting it out as gently as possible, but he could tell it hurt him bad too. Tzang's whole body jerked and he coughed.

Whatever drug the dart was laced with, it affected Tzang worse than Shen. Without warning, he grabbed Shen by the arm.

"The archives! Go to the archives!" He rasped between coughs.

"But the-"

"Go!" He shoved Shen away as he rolled over, trying to force himself up to his feet.

Shen stumbled back. Tzang was right; their duty was to protect the archives first. He fished his keys out of his pocket and went to the entrance.

He wouldn't need his keys.

The double door's lock was _cut_ and the door was open slightly. He took a ready stance and raised a stone the size of his head out of the ground. He slowly pushed the double door open.

The archive was organized from newest additions to oldest, and public to private. The oldest was kept in the back and only authorized personnel could handle the scrolls, some of which were thousands of years old. And as such, they were kept in a separate section cordoned off by a velvet rope which would stop absolutely no one.

The newer documents were kept near the front entrance and on a second and third level for easy access and with provided supervision, anyone could look through them.

As a public service, people can request for the archive to store their private documents. Most big businesses in Ba Sing Se use this to store important records of business acquisitions and sometimes blueprints for a new building or important invention. And some of the most valuable historical scrolls are kept in there as well.

The question was then obvious: Why store it here and not somewhere safe?

The answer was obvious too: Because the Grand Archive was the only place with a vault like this.

The vault itself was constructed of 14 inch thick highest grade imaginable steel and built by the greatest metallurgists in the world. No one could get it open without the correct numbered combination in the two turn dials and 4 keys all turned in the exact perfect sequence. All together, the vault alone weighed roughly 15 tons. Even a wagon filled with blasting jelly couldn't scratch dent it.

The vault was visible straight ahead from the entrance, and it was open.

Shen wasn't half way to the vault when he saw that the vault hadn't been forced open. Which didn't make sense, how could anyone know the code? Even _he_ was purposefully kept in the dark about it. Shen didn't even know anybody who might know the code, and never had seen it being opened.

Still keeping the stone poised in case someone, somehow, was still inside, he stepped around the heavy door.

Shen's face grew deathly pale.

Everything inside of the vault was shredded.

Every single piece of paper.

Every important scroll.

Whoever knocked him and Tzang out opened the vault and destroyed a fortune in books, scrolls, and schematics.

Shen gulped through a suddenly dry throat. A lot of people were going to be in deep, dark trouble for this, and he had a deep, dark feeling that one of them might be him…

_**Ba Sing Se, Upper ring…**_

"You've joined a club?" Rei asked as she combed her hair, watching herself in the mirror.

Mitsuro, who coincidentally was also fixing his hair, said, "Yeah, so I won't be around quite as much."

"Really? What does this club do?"

Mitsuro suppressed a grin. "It has a good time, that's what it does."

Rei turned and gave him that all-to-familiar suspicious look of hers. "A good time?"

The paranoid cow. She was always suspecting him of cheating on her. So what if he had? It's no business of hers who else he's with. Mitsuro waved her off. "Nothing like you're thinking. They're just into the same things I am."

"Oh, okay. So, they're some kind of archery group? Racing cycles?"

"Something like that. Sorry, but we're in a…competition of sorts with other clubs, so I can't tell you." In the last week since he joined, Mitsuro had come to understand more and more about what the organization was exactly about, though he still was unclear on a few things. Namely: who was the Head Master? Why hasn't he met him yet? When did Baku learn how to use explosives? And most importantly, who was their true enemy, and why was his destruction so important they'd kill the Avatar to do it?

Though he asked, he was provided with nothing but vague answers. They didn't want him to know yet.

Mitsuro figured it had to be him being new. They don't trust him fully with such important information. No matter. When the time comes, he'd learn everything he wanted to know.

She wrinkled her nose. "Why? You think I'll tell someone?"

"I _know_ you'll tell someone. Like your big mouthed friend, Narnia."

She scoffed. "Her name is Nyla. And she's not big mouthed; she just…likes to talk. A lot. Very loudly."

"My point exactly."

She pouted. "That's not fair. What makes you think I'd tell her?"

Mitsuro cocked an eyebrow. "Because you've got a big mouth too."

She loved the way Mitsuro looked when he did that. She bit her lip enticingly, then pouted. "Fine, whatever you say. I'll let you play around in your little club. Just don't do anything crazy."

He laughed. Not at her idea of humor, but the idea of him needing her permission to do anything. Just because she had all the money, doesn't mean she was in charge, but if pandering to her was what it took to stay in her good graces, so be it.

"Crazy? Me? Not a chance."

Crazy wasn't the word for what they had planned. Dynamic, radical, epic. Those all seemed more appropriate. The more he thought about what they would do, it gave him a renewed elation that he hadn't felt since before he was about to kill the Avatar. They were going to cause chaos and destruction on a level that would make the bombing at the museum in Bumi City seem like a whisper in the wind.

And Mitsuro couldn't wait to be a part of it.

_**Okano District, Soto's Furniture Warehouse…**_

"Well, Mr. Ezeru, you certainly seem capable. Very capable indeed," one of the store owners Lin Soto said smoothly as she looked Ezeru up and down for the fifth time in as many minutes.

Her husband, Kao Soto, cleared his throat. For the fifth time in as many minutes. "So…uh…when can you start?"

"Immediately."

Lin immediately perked up. "That's just great. It's been so difficult running a business without any strong, young men around. They just don't seem to stay in here anymore. If they aren't moving to Kanko to work in the factories, it's to Gwuanju to work at the harbor. And everyone left just becomes businessmen of some sort here or in Ba Sing Se." She sighed. "It's so difficult for a small business to function nowadays."

It was the husband's turn to sigh. "Yes, but let's not bore him with that whole mess. Let's go to the office and finish the paperwork."

Finally. Ezeru's job search was over. He'd managed to avoid those moments of…weakness that had haunted him for as long as he could remember. He would be loading furniture onto delivery wagons, into and onto personal wagons. Ezeru also would help gather timber for Kao and Lin to carve during weekends if he chooses to.

There wasn't much room for his tendency to break things. Since some of furniture was heavy and sturdy, it could take any stress he could inadvertently put on it. And before asking for a job, Ezeru walked around the entire warehouse. There was a lot of walking space and few things he could trip on or termite riddled/moldy floorboards that could give under his weight.

He would've been a shelf stocker at a ceramic and tile shop, but mere seconds after arriving his foot went through a floorboard. He lost his balance and fell through a wall.

Not into. Through.

To heighten the problem, he landed on and crushed a wagon of cabbages.

The cabbage merchant threw up his hands and stormed off saying something about his father being right and that cabbages were cursed.

Ezeru offered to clean up the rubble, but the owner was furious at losing some of his best crafted vases and figurines. Needless to say, the owner was in no mood to give Ezeru a job.

Ezeru knew that for a fact. He asked. And was promptly called a name he hadn't heard before.

He would be sure to ask his aunt what it meant later. She could curse and jaw with anyone and kept up with slang. Ezeru tended to ignore people who speak vulgarly, which seemed to be everyone now, and only something new caught his attention anyway.

He put a scribble everywhere he was told to sign, bowed to his new bosses, and left. He would start tomorrow morning at 8.

_**Aunt Meng's…**_

Meng's place was empty save for three males, two were thin and the other pudgy. All were around Miko's age. The pudgy one was constantly looking at Miko, but she wasn't really paying attention to him. Her eyes kept drifting towards the clock on the wall just above the small window to the kitchen.

The three had finished eating a while ago and were probably waiting to see how it turned out.

Miko wished they would leave, she didn't want to potentially embarrass herself with an audience.

It was nearly time. Was she really ready to go through with this?

The door opened.

She'd have to be ready now…

One of the three nudged the other when Ezeru walked up to the counter, and said something about how tall he was and snickered about someone named Darlo.

"Uh…hello, Ezeru," a small voice said in place of Meng. Meng herself was rinsing dishes in place of the girl who was standing there the last time Ezeru was here.

There was a long pause as Ezeru's eyes went from the side of Meng's head to the girl. For whatever reason, they had changed places. The chef was watching with a face that teetered between intrigue and skepticism.

Oh goodness…

Her cheeks flushed and she looked at Meng, who urged here on with a quick flick of the wrists.

Her lip quivered as she tried to speak. "Would you…like…the usual?"

She was taking his order? Meng must have been training her to run the counter, he guessed.

Ezeru nodded. "Yes."

"One usual, coming up," Tin Li proclaimed as he did his typical spatula twirl.

Before she could tell him the total, he set the money on the counter in front of her. She apprehensively collected and counted the money, then dropped it into the register.

Another stretch of silence came as the meal was prepared, only broken by a few whispers and snickers were shared by the three at the table.

"Order up!" Tin Li shouted, sliding the platter and bowl of noodles through the kitchen window.

She handed it to Ezeru, and he started for his corner seat.

"M…my name is Miko!"

It was almost a shout and it made Ezeru stop.

Ezeru couldn't see her face since he was still facing away from the counter, but Miko wanted to cry, and had to look like it too.

She hung her head, blinking back tears she felt miserable for wanting to shed.

She wanted to crawl inside of a deep, dark hole and never come out.

How could she be so pathetic? Now he'll-

He turned his head and looked over his bandaged right shoulder she'd never seen him move, from between the quarter of his gasa that was missing, with those green eyes, and said with his strong yet gentle voice, "That is a very nice name, Miko."

If the gasp that came out of her mouth was loud enough to hear, she would never know, because she wasn't there any more. She barely remembered anything else after that, and she was already small of build, but she felt totally weightless. Floating about on air, with that seven word compliment playing in her mind over and over again.

_**Ezeru's House…**_

"You really don't need to work anymore," Wu Lin protested as she rinsed the plates of food they just ate. As usual, Ezeru didn't eat as much, since he prefers to eat at Aunt Meng's.

Ezeru's mother agreed. "She's right. I was finally approved to receive aid from the government. The letter came in the mail while you were away. We'll have more than enough to pay the note on the house now. It's okay to take a break now."

Ezeru took a sip of Wu Lin's tea. "I understand that, but I still need to do this."

"But, you've been working nonstop for so long. I worry about you wearing yourself out too soon. And for you to go from carrying around buckets of rocks to couches and sofas? I don't want to see something happening to _your_ back too."

She didn't mean to, and Ezeru knew that, but he still felt the pang in his chest and his pulse quicken. The memory was still fresh in his mind of the day his mother's life was ruined forever. His own _personal_ loss pails in comparison to how she suffered.

Thanks to _him…_

It was faint, but he felt his right arm quiver. He closed his eyes, inhaled slowly, and willed the thoughts away, suppressing them before they did any real damage. Literally.

"I will be fine, mother. You don't need to worry." He finished the cup of tea and set it on the table.

Wu Lin snorted. "It's just like I said. That boy is as stubborn as a zebra mule. He's going to work, whether we need him to or not."

Ezeru wouldn't put it that way, but that was his basic sentiment.

It was something he wouldn't be dissuaded from.

There were four sharp thumps against the door. It was a much heavier sound than someone using their bare hand, but not loud enough to say someone was banging. More like someone knocking with a rock.

"Goodness, who could that be?" his mother wondered.

Ezeru started to stand.

"No, no, you sit, Mr. Hard Worker. I'll get it." Wu Lin mocked as she walked by. When Wu Lin opened the door, two Dai Li agents were standing there.

The tallest one removed the distinct, tasseled gasa from his head. "Good evening, Ms. Wu Lin. Is your nephew home?"

_**Westbound road out of Ba Sing Se…**_

It was just after noon, and the weather was warm, but not too hot. Most importantly, the wind was calm. The dirt beaten path made it clear that this was a seldom used route. Newer routes were paved over to make passage with wagons simpler. Though use of those things was low and no one wanted to spend hours in a cramped metal box with uncomfortable seats.

Though it was a step up from walking place to place. But, just barely.

"Ohhh, how much longer will this take? Vivi's tired of walking," the little girl who wasn't a little girl whined.

Now she was wearing a not as frilly skirt, but still had her pigtails and exaggerated little girls voice. Mitsuro thought it might be an act at first, but he'd never seen her talk her age yet.

The "Vivi test" as Baku put it and those cryptic words: "Bad things happen to people who upset Vivi" still hung fresh in his mind.

It wasn't that Mitsuro was wholly afraid of her, but he didn't like known unknowns. He had more or less figured out everyone of the main group he was assigned to's special abilities and a basic shell of their personality.

"It won't be much longer, Vivi. If Jung Su was right, and he always is, it'll happen any minute now," replied the other girl named Lila.

She seemed to function as the on the ground leader when Jung Su wasn't present. He hadn't seen her fight, but a sword is standard fare. Given all the solo assignments she goes on, Mitsuro was sure she was more than capable with it. Since seeing her the day he first walked into the facility, he scarcely saw her. He could easily see that she was the organization's primary agent.

Baku yawned. "I'm with Vivi. This is pointless."

Baku specialized in explosions, which relegated his combat duties to distraction and intimidation. Enemies had a tendency to lose their fighting spirit when their comrades start blowing up. The only thing Mitsuro didn't know was what kind of explosive he used.

His early guess would be something similar to what a member of the Rough Rhinos once used, small but highly volatile explosives, portable enough to carry in a small backpack.

But, Baku didn't carry anything like that on him. Which only further begged the question: what does he use?

It would come in time, and he would also find out why didn't he rely on his Firebending. As Mitsuro remembered, Baku was an excellent bender even at a young age.

And of course, Mitsuro knew his role. As an archer, he had the only long range ability based on what he knew. He would cover their escape, and pick off any enemy archers or threats at a distance. Jung Su had already told Mitsuro he planned on having him accompany Ivy on future tasks that she couldn't do alone. He'd look forward that.

Mitsuro could also say, as of now, that no other benders were present in this group except for Baku.

He knew just about everything he needed to about everyone.

Except Vivi.

She had to bring something to the table, or a strategist like Jung Su wouldn't have use for her. Even Po, the organization's muscle, wasn't here, and Mitsuro figured a person like him would be useful for any situation. But, Jung Su's thought process was another issue that didn't fall into place with Mitsuro's presumptions.

So, what was Vivi's role? What is it that she could do that made Po, expendable for today? At some point, he'd find out, but he'd rather know sooner than later. So for now, even though he was supposed to walk next to her, he made sure not to stray too close.

Vivi turned to Mitsuro, beaming with a cheek dimpling smile. "Why so quiet, Misty Mitsy?"

He decided to be honest, but not completely honest. "I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

"A lot."

She giggled. "Don't think too much, or Jungy will get jealous."

"Oh please," Baku began. "Like Jung Su-"

Two bursts of fire from opposite sides of the road, one in front and one behind them, cutting them off.

Mitsuro's went for his bow.

A short arrow whizzed by the left side of his face.

He felt it bite into his skin and he jerked away, slapping at his cheek.

Five men sprang from the bushes, three in front on either path and two behind. All were wearing rags over their faces. One man wielded a broadsword, another had dual short blades, two were unarmed but their stance looked like that of a Firebender. Another was slightly taller than the rest and was barefoot.

The final bandit stepped out of the trees. His pace was slow and deliberate. Controlled. In his hands he held the weapon that he cut the side of Mitsuro's cheek with, and he was pointing it directly at Mitsuro.

A crossbow.

_The bastard._

The sight of it angered Mitsuro. This bastard was _challenging_ him. How dare someone with weapon that takes almost no skill to learn, challenge Mitsuro? How dare he! That weapon was a mockery of archery in every way. Just point and fire. No care or worry, because it reloaded the next arrow automatically. And he dared to show off his "skill" by grazing his Mitsuro's face on purpose?

He was going to pay for that.

Only thing now was where Mitsuro was going to put _his_ arrow…

_**Ezeru's House…**_

Captain Asuke looked at the elderly woman named Wu Lin and hoped she wouldn't fear the worst.

When a Dai Li agent came knocking on your door, rarely was it good news. But, this was a different visit entirely.

Officer Nu Lang didn't follow Asuke's lead and remove his gasa upon greeting the elderly woman, and that probably threw Wu Lin a bit. Making a good impression on his family would be key. Nu Lang would have to learn how to dot his one day. He was young and green, like everyone is as a rookie, but soon this would be his job.

To come see youngsters like this one.

The look on her face told him she was a little worried. He added, "No need to worry, ma'am. He's not in any trouble. It's quite the contrary."

Her demeanor shifted. "Why are you here, then? If you don't mind me asking."

She's a sassy one. "It's about the day of the Avatar's revealing. We'd like to speak to your nephew about what happened that day."

She considered that, staring hard into Asuke's eyes. "Alright, I'll be right back." And she shut the door in their faces.

Nu Lang furrowed his brow, which was rather thick. "Why didn't you tell her?"

Asuke turned to his protégé. "There's no reason to rush this, is there? You only get one chance to make a first impression. And you'll catch more badger moles with worms than you'll ever catch with brute force," he said knowing full well how Nu Lang hated his obscure metaphors.

_**The dirt road…**_

"What's this? A bunch of brats? Well, just listen to me and no one will get hurt. So, no sudden movements," said the tallest bandit. He was probably an Earthbender, but he took no stance to speak of. "Or he will put an arrow in your eyes. You've already seen how deadly accurate he is first hand. Now throw down your weapons, slowly."

It took every ounce of will to keep Mitsuro from spitting at that comment, but given how outnumbered they were, they complied. Mitsuro unbuckled his quiver, with bow still in place and set it on the ground and took five steps back.

He wouldn't dare "throw down" the bow that once belonged to Mitsuro's father, but that wasn't the only reason he set it down that way…

Lila did the same with her sword.

_Valuable or tactical, Lila?_ Mitsuro thought.

Baku and Vivi had no weapons on them to speak of so they did nothing.

The bandits moved in, also slowly and deliberately.

Vivi, who hadn't moved since the attack began, walked off to the side of the road, looking at the ground. Like she was following something.

"Hey!" the bandit Earthbender ordered.

She kept going.

Crossbow fired.

The arrow landed inches away from Vivi's feet.

She kept walking another three steps, seemingly oblivious to the threat against her life, then knelt down near some grass.

"Hello, Mr. Caterpillar. How are you today?" she said to the fuzzy, orange thing.

"I said don't move!" the Earthbender barked. "What in the world is wrong with you? Are you deaf, you stupid girl?" He took a step towards her.

Baku, who was holding his hands up, smiled that ear to ear smile of his. "Technically, you said 'no sudden movements' and she was walking pretty slowly. She won't run anyway and-"

The man, who Mitsuro now considered the leader, nodded with his head and the Firebender who attacked from the back, stepped in front of Baku and punched him in the stomach. Baku staggered, doubling up. He clutched at his chest and he began coughing.

"_Now_ I'm telling you to shut up! And don't move." the Earthbender grated as he jabbed a finger at Baku. The other Firebender stepped forward, unraveling a rope. "Good, tie them up. Then go through their pockets."

It had been a while since he had known Baku, but he still recognized the flash he saw in his face. It was the way he looked when he was plotting something, the certain way he was smiling.

_What's he planning?_

The Firebender went to Lila. He patted her and started going through her pockets. A bizarre, almost pleasurable look was on her face as he did it.

"Oooh, you know, this would be much better if I didn't just get to see your eyes, Mr. Bandit," she said in almost a moan. "Why don't you take off that mask and let me see your face?"

Mitsuro hadn't really looked at her hard before now, but she was rather…shapely, and had an attractive face.

Her eyes drifted over to Mitsuro and met his eyes. She winked at him.

It wasn't an oddly timed seductive act. It was a signal.

_It's time…_

The bandit fumbled as if he were trying to say something, but knew he shouldn't. He turned to his leader. "She's…uh…got nothing but some change on her."

"That's not all I've got," she moaned, raising the seduction in her voice even higher. "I've got a feeling that you're not going to like the next 5 seconds."

"Wh…what?" He stammered as he shifted in front of her to tie her hands up. Then his body seized up and he staggered back.

From the angle Mitsuro was standing at, he would've been able to see the small stiletto sticking from the Firebender's chest.

But, he was already diving to the ground for his quiver.

Crossbow saw the movement and fired twice in succession.

Mitsuro was right; he couldn't aim for crap. The arrows went wide of him.

In a practiced maneuver, Mitsuro grabbed his quiver, rolled, and rose to a crouch.

Just like he trained and expected, the bow was free and in hand, but he had only managed to remove two arrows.

_Damn, it was supposed to be three. It's because I'm out of practice._ But that's all he needed.

He raised his bow-

A blast of fire came from behind him-

The Firebender without a dagger in his heart was attacking-

Baku leapt in the way, dissipating the blaze by flaring out his arms and protecting Lila and Mitsuro who must have performed a similar roll to Mitsuro for her sword, because they were crouched nearly back to back.

She jumped to her feet, and she swung at the same time Mitsuro jumped to his.

As the sudden sound slinking metal rang in his ears, he charged Crossbow.

Crossbow raised and tried to put an arrow in Mitsuro's face-

_-Click-_

The arrow clip was empty-

_Another reason a real bow will always trump a crossbow._

Dual blades' head fell from his shoulders.

It hit the ground with a sick thump.

His body followed after.

_How the…? Did Lila do that? But, he was over 10 feet away! There's no way her sword could reach-_

Crossbow cursed, and lunged to his right, trying to get out of Mitsuro's aim. He desperately reached into his pocket for another clip.

Mitsuro cursed himself for getting distracted and raised his own bow.

A sharp spike of stone sprouted from the ground, trying to impale him!

He leapt back, just missing getting stabbed, and turned in midair. He fired a single arrow on Earthbender before he really gauged him as a target. But it wasn't the first time he'd fired from this position at a target he couldn't quite see.

Muscle memory and reflex made the arrow strike in the shoulder.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Broadsword's chest rip open, as he spun to the ground, crying out and he heard the same sound of slinking metal.

_Lila again?_

Mitsuro landed on his feet and bent to his knees.

He readied the next arrow, just as Crossbow was running from around the spike to get a point blank shot.

Mitsuro gave a grim smile. "Hello there."

He fired.

_**Ezeru's house…**_

"So, you don't recall using any form? You just saw the explosion and then woke up in that shell of earth?" Asuke asked, taking a sip of Wu Lin's tea.

"Yes," Ezeru answered with a slight nod. Ezeru didn't know what to make of this visit. They'd asked him about what he did to survive the blast four times now, asking him to go in detail what he did. But, he just didn't remember.

Not exactly.

What would the Dai Li want with him that would make the come all this way? Was it really just to ask him these questions?

"Hm…most intriguing, young man. Most intriguing. And Ms. Wu Lin, this tea is as good as anything the Jasmine Dragon has ever made."

"Why thank you," she said bowing. "But, I like to think of my own brew as more unique than anything the Dragon of the West's shop could create."

Giala set down her own cup. "Well, excuse me, Captain Asuke-"

"Asuke or Mr. Asuke is just fine."

"Mr. Asuke, you never actually said how you figured out we were there at the time of that explosion."

"I did? Silly me. Well, I'll start at the beginning." He took a final sip of the tea and set it down on the living room table. "Well, as you know, the explosion took the lives of many people. 29 in all perished and dozens more receives severe burns. And that doesn't even include those injured in the panicked rush to get to safety.

"The Dai Li was charged with keeping order on that day. They set up the barricades and were positioned all throughout the area, and especially near the stage." He looked remorseful. "Of the 29 who died, 6 were our agents. None of them. Not a single one of them protected themselves. No one threw up a stone barrier or even tried too. All were incinerated.

"I had to survey the scene in person. I trained those agents myself. They were like sons and daughters to me. And that's when I saw it, the one oval of clean, unscorched earth in the blast radius. It was faint after a few days time, but after years of bending, I could see it. I asked again and again if the scene had been disturbed and was assured each time the area had been preserved as it was on the day of the explosion. It was then clear to me: someone had bent the ground there to save themselves. Something none of my other agents could do. And I knew I had to find that person.

"I asked about who was standing there and what happened to them and heard the story of the only three survivors amidst all the death. I did some searching and eventually came across the Water Tribe healers who gave first aid to the survivors. They remembered you very well; the tall youth with the bandaged arm, his mother in a wheelchair, and his aunt. And they also remembered your name as well. Once I had a name and a description, well, this is the Dai Li. It was simple to find you."

Giala nodded her expression shrewd, a face she often saved for her sister. "That's quite the tale, but, it's clear now that learning about how my son saved us isn't your true reasons for coming here."

Officer Asuke looked at Nu Lang and sighed. He held up his stone gloved hands in defeat "You got me."

"So, why are you really here, Mr. Asuke?"

They're quite astute, didn't take that story at face value one bit. And this youngster is quite the…quiet one. He and Nu Lang might get along just fine; they could sit around and not talk about anything all day.

The descriptions didn't do him justice. He was taller than Asuke thought he'd be. Asuke subtly asked if he lifted weights, but was told no. Which is hard to imagine given how muscular his frame his. He wasn't wearing the three-fourths gasa they described, but why would he indoors? And he already had the queue, though for whatever reason he kept a full head of hair, rather than shave the front.

Asuke felt no reason to keep up the butter up portion. He would lay it all on the table. He leaned forward in the comfortable sofa, and locked his hands together.

"Ma'am, I'm here to recruit your son to join the Dai Li."

_**Dirt road…**_

Crossbow stood there, eyes wide. He looked over his body, frantically searching for the arrow. Confident when he didn't find it he said, "You missed." And he brought the sight to his eyes to return an arrow of his.

He squeezed the trigger.

The crossbow jerked.

Crossbow looked confused for a second. Mitsuro was rising to his feet, unharmed. "No, I didn't. But, you did. Earlier, you weren't trying to scare me. I was an active threat to you and your comrades. You were trying to kill me, but missed. A bow is and will always be superior to a crossbow."

Crossbow then fell on his back, gagging on his own blood.

One of his own short arrows was lodged, shaft first into his throat. The arrowhead was pointing straight at Mitsuro.

Crossbow's crossbow slipped from his hands and clattered to the ground, as he clutched at his throat with both hands, his eyes wild.

Now Crossbow probably could see what Mitsuro had done. Mitsuro's arrow was stuck in the stock, blocking the smaller crossbow arrows from exiting. When Crossbow pulled the trigger, it backfired.

Mitsuro just made the fool kill himself.

Mitsuro turned and went for his quiver, as the dying bandit kicked and squirmed his last moments before finally becoming still.

Mitsuro had gotten his quiver when he realized Baku and the Firebender were still fighting. Baku was knocking aside all of his blasts, which were much smaller than before. The bandit was also breathing heavily.

Lila was tapping her foot impatiently. "Oh, come on, Baku. Finish this up already," she complained.

Baku shrugged. "Alright, fine, party pooper."

The Firebender took advantage of Baku taking his eyes off him. He roundhoused a small arch of fire, trying to hit Baku in the chest.

Baku slapped the fire up and over him, as he stepped towards the exhausted and beaten bandit.

Baku twisted on his heels, and started shouting at the top of his lungs.

The bandit panicked and tried to shield himself from the oncoming-

Baku stopped yelling at the same time he touched on finger to the bandits' forehead. His smile was in full force as he looked at the shaking bender.

"Boom."

The second the words left Baku's mouth, the Firebender's body shook just like his partner, except he didn't stagger.

He just dropped to his knees and was still a moment before slumping over.

_What in the world did he do?_ Mitsuro walked over to the body.

There was no stiletto. No cuts. No visible wounds whatsoever, yet blood was seeping from his ears, eyes, nose, and mouth.

It didn't make any sense. How did Baku kill him?

A heavy grunt and footsteps brought Mitsuro's attention around.

Damnit, the Earthbender. Mitsuro had forgotten about him!

By the time they turned around, the bandit leader was holding a knife to Vivi's neck.

"Hold it right there, you freaks!" He looked every bit like the coward he was. He was backing away from them slowly, keeping Vivi as a shield. "Stay back or I'll slit her throat!"

Vivi's head was down, with some of her hair free of her pigtails and covering her eyes. She was more or less being carried.

If he moved quickly, he might be able to hit him without hurting Vivi, but Lili was the group leader. He looked at her.

She was shaking her head. Not in shame or in fear for Vivi's situation, it was a bemused "He's in trouble" kind of head shake.

Baku was chuckling quietly to himself, with a hand on his face.

The man was a coward. He tightened his grip on Vivi. "Damn you, what the hell is so funny?!"

"You are so dead," Ivy said still shaking her head.

"Dude, you would've been better off _pretending_ to be dead. You picked the wrong little girl to take hostage."

"What?"

A low, rasping breathe slowly became louder and louder, until it was a near wheezing growl. It was coming from Vivi.

"You…squished…Mr....Caterpillar…"she said not sounding at all like an innocent, little girl.

Her head snapped around, almost at an impossible angle and speed for a human neck with the most feral, animalistic look Mitsuro ever saw on a human face.

Through bared teeth she hissed, "Vivi doesn't _like_ you!"

It was such a startling look, he withdrew a bit from her.

She grabbed his hand that was still holding the blade.

The Earthbender was much larger than her, but that didn't stop her from breaking free of his grip and twisting his arm around.

He grunted in surprise and pain.

She violently twisted his hand around, snapping his wrist, and plunged the blade into the lower right side of his back. He bellowed in pain.

The back of his knee was kicked out, bringing the rest of his body lower to hers.

She pulled out the knife and stabbed him again.

His cries grew louder.

She twisted the knife before pulling it out.

And then she found another place.

It was like she knew just where she could inflict the most pain without killing him.

The man didn't stop screaming for what seemed like a long time.

Mitsuro had seen death before. He'd killed men before, even has taken the life of a woman and people his age when he had too. But, what Vivi did with that blade turned his stomach in ways he never thought possible.

She literally butchered the man.

Mitsuro couldn't hold back anymore and wheeled around, and wretched.

Gasping for air, he looked at the other two who didn't dare interfere .

Ivy looked solemn, but not sickened. Even Baku wasn't smiling his usual smile, though he still was smiling.

None were surprised. They had seen this before.

Then, just like that, she changed.

She actually skipped up to them after tossing away the knife. She was remarkably clean to say what she'd just done; only a few streaks of red stained her skirt. "Okay, time to go. Vivi needs to wash her hands and change her clothes. The bad man made it all messy." And she giggled again.

Baku handed Mitsuro a hand towel to wipe the vomit from his face. "Yeah, I had the same reaction the first time I saw that. Eventually, you'll get used to it."

Baku's hand hovered in the air as Mitsuro was reluctant to take the towel from him. He still didn't forget how he killed a man by touching him.

Lila beheaded one man then gashed another's chest open 10 feet away.

Vivi went from a sugar coated princess to a psychopath in no time flat.

_So, this is what Jung Su meant by…special…_

Lila then said, to no one in particular, "Operation: Bandit's Bane, is a success."

They began walking back to town.

Baku chuckled. "I said it then, I'll say it now. That name sucks. And this mission was pointless"

Lila shrugged. "Take it up with, Jung Su. He named it." She sighed. "Though I do kinda agree with the second part. Not a single cute guy in the bunch, though that Firebender had some pretty eyes."

Vivi smiled. "Don't worry, you'll find some good ones next time.

Lila bit her lip, something Rei often does, "True, there's always next time."

Mitsuro had an idea of the purpose of this mission. Sending them into a bandit infested area by themselves, there was only one reason:

Jung Su wanted Mitsuro to know exactly who he would be working with from now on.

The entire walk back, Mitsuro doubled the distance he kept from Vivi and all of them.

That Earthbender was right…they were all freaks.

But, then…so was Mitsuro.

_**Outside of Ezeru's house…**_

"_I appreciate the invitation, and you journeying this far, but I decline."_

Today was originally going to be a learning experience for Nu Lang, but it turned out both Dai Li agents would get a taste of something new.

"Has anyone ever turned you down like that?" Nu Lang asked as they climbed into the wagon.

"Nope," Asuke replied, closing the driver side door.

"What does this mean?"

"It means we go home and continue with business as usual, Nu Lang."

"But, to leave without even trying to convince him otherwise… I mean, a person like him would do such good for the agency. You said yourself if a 16 year old could throw up a barrier that fast and strong enough to withstand that intense heat, he must be…"

"A true master in the making," Asuke finished and started up the engine with hummed to life. "I've acquired a talent for reading a person. It's key in this line of work and in any bending battle. I saw something in his eyes that told me, that he would like the training. No bender _wants_ to just sit on his talents like that. Bending is a skill that almost demands to be honed. But, for some reason in his eyes…well…it isn't that he didn't want to join us; he couldn't join us."

"So, why can't he join us? It's not his guardians. Both of them said it was fine."

Asuke shrugged and shook his head. "Hell if I know, but we left him our card. If he changes his mind, he knows where to find us."

"Do you think he will? He seemed pretty…stubborn."

"Yeah, I got that too. If he feels there's enough reason too, he'll come." Asuke paused for a moment. "In fact, I'm almost positive he'll come." Then he laughed his hearty laugh. "Though it might take a while from the looks of it."

They were almost through Okano District and were pulling onto a main roadway before Nu Lang spoke again.

"What about that name? It doesn't sound…normal."

"Yeah. It's not an Earth Kingdom name, that's for certain. And on top of that it's fake."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because his mother would probably name him after his father. A strong woman like that would only marry an army man, and army wives always pass on a father's name."

"Where'd you hear a thing like that?"

Asuke laughed again. "You'll find out what I mean one day, Nu Lang. One day. But, that isn't the only reason I think it's fake."

"Oh?"

"You see, when I was searching for his name in the records at City Hall. No person named Ezeru lives in this city. I went back to the Water Tribe healers and asked them if they were sure that was his name. A lady admitted they didn't actually get that name from him, his mother, or aunt. They knew because the foreman who was doing construction was making a fuss over losing 'the man named Ezeru' she called him as they walked off on the day of the explosion. The foreman wasn't upset about losing him because he was such a hard worker, it was because it would be on them to clean up the damage and they used Ezeru as a heavy lifter."

"He certainly is built for it."

"He sure is."

"So, why would he use a fake name? And does anyone know what his real name is?"

"I know why he'd use a fake name, and I know his real one."

"Really? Why? What is it?"

Asuke breathed in deeply and let out an even slower breathe."I know you'll hate me saying it, but from where he stands, he has good reason to shun that name. So, out of respect for him, I can't tell you."

"Great, now I want to know what it is."

Asuke laughed again. "Sorry."

_Next chapter:_

_Chapter 10: Discovery_


	11. Chapter 10: Discovery

_Chapter 10: Discovery_

_**Ba Sing Se…**_

Hanori yawned and turned the page to _Avatar Selook and the Tablet of the Ancients. _She'd read the previous three entries in the _Avatar Selook_ saga, but she just couldn't see why everyone loved these books who was Olan's age. She would never even touch them if she hadn't had so much free time lately. It seemed like ages since Hanori had left the office. For the last few weeks, Olan would do nothing but stay in his lab.

Long periods of constant movement makes any time sitting still seem hopelessly dull and, in this case, guilty. It's not that she doesn't enjoy the down time on a personal level, but Olan had a responsibility. And Olan didn't tell her anything anymore, just not to disturb him. What was he doing in there with his nasty little insects? And how could that have anything to do with the case?

Hanori decided that for now, she'd just have to trust Olan, though lately she started having doubts about his ability to actually stop the Demon Killer. But, really, it was no fault of Olan's. The Demon Killer didn't make mistakes, left no survivors, or any credible witnesses.

It's own mystique was playing into it's favor now. Every other day there were reports of letters being sent to Dai Li and local police stations claiming to know who the next victim would be. Having no choice, each threat would have to be followed up on, often turning out to be some punk kids playing a prank. All this caused a real problem for any investigators, because following leads was the primary method of catching killers. Even of the demon variety. But, Hanori was thinking that whatever Olan had in mind, it probably wouldn't involve trying to figure out the Demon Killer's true identity.

Hanori was fed up with the book, so she slipped in the page marker and placed it back on the shelf. She went to the newspaper laying on a countertop.

Today would be D's big announcement, and it was also the day of another big event: the debut of the new commercial airship, Discovery. Out of pure curiosity, Hanori couldn't help but wonder what D would say or be able to see the impressive ship, but her personal desires would just need to take a back seat. Whatever Olan was doing, she needed to be here if he needed her.

_**Inside the lab…**_

"Carefully now…little buddy. This will be the last time I swear," Olan murmured softly to the deadly Blue-fang. His gloved fingers shook slightly as he inched the heated metal probe closer and closer. "It'll only hurt for a moment…"

He jabbed it in the back, just below where its thorax met its head. It immediately recoiled, shrinking down from the prod. The blue fangs, from which it gets its name, came out as it hissed. In a move he'd done four times prior, he slipped the prod under the fangs and held them out as he used his fingers to hold its body in place. Light green venom started dripping out. He caught the venom in a tiny beaker until the dripping stopped. He withdrew his hands as quick as he could without harming it anymore.

Olan sighed and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. "Sorry about the discomfort, but it's all over now. I've got enough now." He held the beaker up to the light and swilled it around a little.

A small chuckle left his lips. To him, this had been the toughest part of his day everything else seemed…simple, even though in truth it was nothing but.

If all went according to plan, from today on things would get very interesting, and it wouldn't be long until he had the Demon Killer's head on a platter.

_**Ba Sing Se, Rei's apartment…**_

"Well, why not?" Rei protested as she fussed with her hair.

"Because it isn't safe." Mitsuro said, as he lounged in his chair, eyeing the wall mounted clock.

"What do you mean it isn't safe? I'll just be in the crowd watching it. It's not like I'll be inside of the thing."

Why can't the ignorant cow just leave it alone? Mitsuro rolled his eyes. "I don't care. I don't want you anywhere near it. It's one big accident waiting to happen."

She turned away from the mirror and stopped brushing her hair. A big deal where she's concerned. "You really care about me that much?" her face looked so…pathetically touched.

Mitsuro couldn't muster any verbal answer without it dripping with sarcasm, so forced out a wry shrug and topped it off with a raised eyebrow. Anyone else under the same circumstances, would think it was an awkward time to do something like that. But with Rei…

She bounded around the bed and threw her arms around Mitsuro. She gave him a wet peck on the lips. "Okay, if it'll make you feel better, baby. I won't go."

Mitsuro sighed slightly. He looked back at the clock. It was time. He gently separated her from him and stood up out of the bed.

"Good. I've got to go out for a while."

"More club business?"

Mitsuro felt his lips curl into a small smile. "Yes."

Rei gave him a disappointed look, but relented and said, "Okay, fine."

Mitsuro grabbed his quiver strap and fixed the gloves he recently bought recently to get a better grip on the throttle to his bike, and stepped out the door without saying anything else. It took a concerted effort for him to not move with hurried steps, but he contained his excitement. As he went down the hall to the stairs, he refused to use the Earthbending assisted elevators and the mechanized one was too slow. He passed three girls roughly his age. He didn't hide his disgust as he snorted audibly and made sure to force one of them to move out of his way.

"Tch…loser," Nyla spat out.

Mitsuro put up with a lot being with Rei, but he was at his wits end with Rei's choice in friends. Nyla and the other two, whose names he didn't bother himself to learn, were an ever present thorn in his side. They kept filling Rei's head with their smut. Rei was good to look at on her own, she didn't need to wear 4 pounds of makeup to look nice. Or to buy anything and everything to show as much skin as possible. The way the three harlots have her dressed, it made Mitsuro not want to be seen with her in public. But, he'd do what he had to do, his relationship with Rei was a necessary…

No, wait.

Was it really all that necessary now? The offer to stay on the organization grounds was extended to him afterall, so…

_No, focus, Mitsuro. I can worry about this later. The only thing that should be on my mind is the shot. It'll be the most precision based target I've ever had. Some annoyance like these tramps is nothing._

Mitsuro muttered a quick insult under his breathe as he continued down the hall. They reached his and Rei's room before he got to the stairwell. Just as he started down, he heard Nyla open her big trap in a high pitched squealing that could shatter glass as she and the others doubtlessly threw their arms around Rei in a group hug.

"Hey girl! Oh my gosh, you'll never guess what I just won!" Nyla shouted.

What she said next was muffled too much when the door closed shut behind him. In the sudden silence, Mitsuro immediately saw himself staring down his target, feeling the wind and making the slight adjustments. No one was around, so he didn't need to hold back. He flew down the four flights of steps and was on his ride before he knew it.

Today was going to change everything.

_**Soto's Furniture Warehouse…**_

"W_e're sorry for the inconvenience, but the store shall be closed today."_

Ezeru stood, staring at the sign. He looked from the sign, to the locked door, and back. His brow wrinkled. They're not here? Where could they be? What could come up that was so sudden they didn't have time to tell him before leaving?

Whatever the reason was, Ezeru had the day off. His house didn't have a sonicus phone, so if something unexpected happened, they wouldn't have any way of telling him. He once suggested buying one, but that would also mean getting a line ran to the house which would cost a large sum of money.

It was far too early to eat at Aunt Meng's and he'd already planned on eating lunch later, so that left out going to his training spot, since it took a long time to walk to and back. Unless he was willing to walk all that way just to train for a few minutes, that only left one option aside from returning home.

The Cave of Faces it is.

The cave was through the woods to the south of Okano District. He found it when he was searching for a place to train after he and his family moved in. It was next to the Chen Yi River.

Though it wasn't wide enough to be called a true river, Okano lore said an Avatar hundreds of years ago mastered Earthbending and Waterbending at the same time while meditating near its bank, hence the name. The Chen Yi is believed to hold some spiritual significance and travelers claim that during full moons a faint glow can be seen from its waters. Ezeru wasn't sure if the stories were true and had never been near the river during full moons, but he did walk along its banks in hopes of finding the same kind of results for his Earthbending, though he would settle merely for more control, rather than full mastery.

He still recalled walking far off the beaten path along its banks, and tripping on a hidden tree root. It was the only thing that brought his eyes away from the river, otherwise he would've never seen the cave.

He'd come in hopes of finding a place for Earthbending, but instead he found somewhere of equal importance. In that cave he knew he could clear his mind.

Now, the opening was blocked by a large, moss covered stone taller than he was. He slid the stone away with his hand. The familiar, if faint, scent of incense wafted into his nostrils. It was layered with stale air and mildew. The cave itself was completely pitch black during this time of day and sunlight never shone too deep inside anyway. It had been a few months since Ezeru was here, but he still knew where everything was in the total darkness. He knelt just inside the entrance and picked up the spark rocks from on top of a smooth topped stone. The cave could get hot in the day so he slipped off his gasa and placed it where the spark rocks just were. He took the four steps to the side, hovering the spark rocks above his hand. He wriggled his fingers and they struck together causing a small spark. The candles caught, flicked to life. And the first row of stone faces came into view.

Some people say they never forget a face, but it's rarely ever as literal as it was with Ezeru. He only needed to see someone once, even from at a distance, and their face would be imprinted within his mind.

It wasn't something Ezeru consciously did. He just did it. And like a key to a locked door, the faces would unlock the memories of the person they went with. Just by seeing someone's again face he could recall every single instance he saw that person complete with details like the color of the stain on their shirt. It was a unique skill and Ezeru didn't believe anyone else on the planet was like him. Something like this, his mother once told him, was something be proud of.

It was never that way for Ezeru.

Not only was it something he didn't do on purpose. He couldn't stop it. Every single person he ever met would become locked into place in his mind. Ezeru once lived in Ba Sing Se, so he was in a position to see thousands of people. Thousands of faces. As amazing a memory it was, his memory had its limits. Because in truth, each face only represented a small gateway to a larger set of memories that he could see in his mind in vivid detail. This much activity isn't normal but it was the way Ezeru always remembered being. And he even could expand this to memorize items he'd seen too. It was fine until…

"_Mom?"_

"_No, son! Run away, please! Now!"  
"…mom? Why are…you bleeding?"_

"_Well, look at this. He had a son? Good!"_

"_No! Don't, please don't hurt him! I'll…do anything!"  
"Mom!"_

No!

Ezeru grabbed his head with his left hand. His right arm started to quiver. When grabbed that and it immediately stopped, but the cave around him started to shake. He fought the images back as he always did, shoving them into the deepest corner of his mind. It happened much easier now than it had before, but he still could tell he broke into a cold sweat and his heart hammered in his chest. He inhaled then exhaled three times, and the cave stopped trembling. He took a moment to compose himself and went back to lighting the last of the candles.

Not long after…the incident, he would have bizarre dreams. Terrifying dreams. Dreams like of him being spoken to by a man with 1,000 voices or a woman fixing her hair with hundreds of pairs of hands. Dreams he experienced vividly.

On the advice of a doctor Ezeru's known since childhood, Ezeru learned that he needed to find an outlet for the faces he kept remembering. The problem came with prolonged retention, the doctor had said. Ezeru's mind wanted to organize the memories instead of the random jumble they became after...that day.

That's where things like the Cave of Faces came in

Using his Earthbending, Ezeru could etch each new face he saw in rock whenever he felt he needed to and it was enough. Whenever he ran out of room, he found somewhere new. The cave was just the most recent incarnation. Once he used a stone tablet and each face was roughly the size of a copper piece. Ezeru didn't fully understand it, but it worked. The nightmares stopped. At least, _some _of them stopped…

The very first face belonged to an elderly old man Ezeru saw on the road as he and his family was moving into the city. He walked along the length of the wall, stopping at random, seeing if he could focus on a particular person at will. He had been getting better at controlling it now. He found that he couldn't remember a face he wasn't physically seeing after he recreated it. Though he still would remember the person again if he saw them or their faced etched onto his cave wall.

Whenever he was in between visits to the cave, he tended let his gasa tip over his eyes, forcing him to see people by their feet. Avoiding eye contact until someone spoke to him, which didn't happen often unless he was at work.

The cave was filling up quickly and was half full now. He stared at the last face he carved, and then closed his eyes. The image of the next new person he saw slowly came to him. Using his index finger to focus the bending like a pen, even though he wasn't physically touching the stone, he started to carve out the first two faces: a little girl and her mother playing in a playground.

Ezeru wouldn't consider himself an artist nor did he think of his carvings as being beautiful. It just was something that, was necessary. Still, he found he put for a great deal of effort into it inadvertently. And in truth, saying they were all carvings wasn't true. Sometimes instead of etching into the stone, he would cause to stone to rise up, causing sculptures in the wall. These instances were rare, and like his memory, unintentional.

This time three faces were sculptures: the little girl from the playground, Miko from Aunt Meng's, and the person Ezeru bumped into several weeks ago.

When Ezeru thought back on each face he'd seen, he also remembered the way he felt about them, and that directly affected his carving. The more strongly he felt, the more detail. And if he only saw one expression on a face, that was how he remembered them. Such as the smile of the little girl. But, that wasn't the only reason her face was more detailed. Years ago, Ezeru and his mother would go to playgrounds, same as any other child. But this was after his mother was paralyzed from the waist down and Ezeru was…

Ezeru blinked the thought away as he felt his right arm tremor. Unwilling to stay with a tough memory for the second time today, Ezeru moved on.

People with names also tended to stick out to him or ones he had seen frequently prior to visiting the cave. So that explains Miko being emphasized, Ezeru figured. But, it was something else too that made him give her special treatment, but he couldn't place why. It would just be something he'd have to let go for now.

And then there was the last one. Ezeru shook his head, feeling his brow wrinkle again. Ezeru remembered the that person looked at him, and the look on his face reminded him of things he wished he didn't get reminded of. Ezeru also remembered how dusty and anxious the man looked, the way he bounced up and ran away. Ezeru thought the person was running away from him, but something told him otherwise. He got the feeling like the person was doing something wrong. The final thing Ezeru remembered about him was the hair. He'd never seen anything like it. Thick strands of coarse hair.

Ezeru glanced at the entrance, and saw how much the shadows shifted. He stepped outside and realized how much the sun had moved.

Time always became nonexistent to him when he was carving.

As if to emphasize the time of day, Ezeru's stomach gave a light growl. He blew out all the candles, left the incense burning, as he always did, took up his gasa, and replaced the entrance stone.

Feeling content with emptying his mind, he bid a silent farewell to his personal little space, and headed back into the city for Aunt Meng's.

_**Outside of Inner Wall…**_

"Will you look at the size of that thing?" Akeno said with an awed look on his face he usually reserves for a girl way out of his league.

"Yeah, it's crazy to believe something that big can fly," Zhi added.

Qin laughed. "It's not much bigger than the airship Fire Lord Ozai used during Sozin's Comet. You guys are so easily impressed."

"Well, yeah, but this thing carries twice as many people and can fly much faster. Fast enough at least to cross the Great Ocean. It's enough to be impressed about I think," Zhi shot back. Zhi loved sciencey stuff like this.

It was another packed event. And for the second time in less than three months, people from all over the world were gathered in the Earth Kingdom. Except this time it was to see the airship Discovery's maiden voyage.

A landing zone for the airship was just outside the inner wall. A massive terminal three times the size the Grand Station was still under construction. It would be the first of its kind in the world.

The top of the airship could be seen from half a mile away as he, Akeno, Qin, and Zhi road in on the crowded tram. Darlo snorted at the massive, mechanical monstrosity. And then he smiled and lightly patted the black sack he brought with him, hearing the slight metallic ping of his mask through the fabric.

Image and persona was everything for D, so Darlo started thinking about what he would say, but then he decided to just play it by ear. He usually said the best lines like that. After all, Darlo was the original D, so he was certain he'd do a better job being himself than the almost faithful impersonation did. Darlo would have try to remember to ask where the guy got his mask from. Darlo'd also make sure he'd get his name. To this point he'd been calling him "Specs".

Darlo normally didn't like working for anonymous employers. Too often it would be someone who was unwilling to risk his own people, so he reached out to Darlo to accomplish some crazy thing or other. Don't get him wrong, Darlo loves a challenge, but he also loves breathing. But this time there wasn't much room for a painful death.

All Darlo had to do was stick to the plan, and like Specs said, "The rest would just fall into place." This had so much potential to give Darlo what he wanted. Darlo just couldn't wait to steal the old man's thunder.

Things would never be the same after today.

It just had one of those feels to it.

The tram pulled to a stop in a small station near the terminal and everyone filed off. The Discovery was the first ship ready for use, but it wasn't the only airship here. In hangers, smaller versions of the behemoth Discovery were on display.

The Discovery would launch at noon, and it was just past eight now, so Darlo figured he had time to peruse around before show time. He could already see where he would make his appearance.

"What are you looking at?" Akeno asked. Somehow in the minute or so since they got off the tram, he had found himself a snack stand and made it back.

Darlo shrugged. "Nothing really." By some stroke of luck, none of the guy knew about D's earlier appearance in Ba Sing Se and they wouldn't know about this one either until it happens. That should be a nice little surprise. Darlo just wished he could see the look on their faces when they saw him don the mask again.

Darlo noticed a small crowd was clustered around a man standing on a makeshift stage. Next to him was a wire mesh barrel on a stand with a crank attached to it.

"Raffle tickets! Enter for your chance to win passes for you and up to four of your friends or family on board the maiden voyage of the Discovery! Get in line for your raffle tickets! Just one silver piece and you can have a chance be a part of history!" the man proclaimed as he waved the airship passes around in his hand. Another man on ground level was collecting money and handing out raffle tickets.

Zhi's face lit up and he fished through his pockets. Came up with nothing. He turned to Akeno.

"Uh-uh," he said, mouth still stuffed with food.

He didn't bother asking his brother who was perpetually moneyless, so he came with the puppy dog eye routine to Darlo.

"Oh c'mon man! You know how cool it would be."

Darlo was in the relatively good mood to he flicked a coin to him. "Whatever, you'll just be owing me when you lose," Darlo said letting a small smirk inch across his face. Zhi wasn't in ear shot to hear it. He was running up to waste Darlo's silver piece.

Darlo chuckled with Qin, and the half chuckling, half choking on food Akeno.

These guys were annoying and they could crotchblock him from picking up girls inadvertently at times, but they weren't so bad to be around. Mostly.

_**Top of Hanger 18…**_

This was the spot. This is where it would happen. Mitsuro knew that even without Jung Su telling him. This would allow for the optimum shot, and the straightest line to the escape route currently being guarded by Po.

Baku, who was lying prone along with Mitsuro on the roof, thought it was too early to be at the spot, but since Mitsuro was given authority this time, he'd just have to deal with it. This kind of archery was all about being at the spot early.

Jung Su himself and Lila were watching from afar from two separate spots to have a clear view of the hangar. Baku and Mitsuro would have no way of knowing if anyone inside the hangar was coming or was coming in on their position. If they spotted anything unusual, they would reflect the sun a different number of times at varying intervals. Three flashes in slow succession meant someone who appeared unaware of Mitsuro or Baku's presence was entering the hangar, thus requiring them to exercise caution. Two quick ones meant someone was suspicious, and to be ready at any moment the mission was in jeopardy. However, two slow glints of light, followed by three fast ones meant the mission was compromised and in full abort.

Vivi was brought along as well, but Jung Su didn't say what her role would be. Neither did he tell Mitsuro where she was. It worried Mitsuro a bit as far as the integrity of the mission was concerned, but he would have to trust Jung Su's judgment, even though he was starting to doubt him. Jung Su knew about Vivi's unstable state more than Mitsuro. It was very doubtful he'd put her in a position to snap and jeopardize the mission.

The plan was sound. Everyone's part made sense. Each task was crucial, yet in and of itself wasn't wholly difficult. The toughest task was up to Mitsuro and he was certain he'd hit the mark, even from this long range. Everything about the plan seemed perfect, except for a glaring fact that made little to no sense whatsoever.

And like why he didn't let Vivi know where he was, Jung Su didn't address Mitsuro's concern when he raised it. Jung Su was highly intelligent, Mitsuro couldn't dispute that, but by small degrees each day he found himself disliking him more and more.

_**Airship courtyard…**_

___Well, I'll be damned…_

__Zhi actually won the raffle.

It was almost time for the launch, and the preliminary whatever was underway. It seemed an awful lot like the Avatar revealing fiasco, but security was much tighter. No one was near the airship that wasn't supposed to, and anyone who did get close, like winners of the many raffle tickets, were searched thoroughly.

Darlo didn't have to come up with a fake excuse for why he didn't want to get on board the ship. The guys knew full well that he wouldn't want to ride in the big metal beast. Personally, Darlo didn't really want them on the thing, but he isn't their dad and he wasn't subbing for him either. They could do whatever they want. If they wanted to get on the ship that probably wouldn't ever leave the ground, that's their choice.

No matter. All this means is they'll have a better view of Darlo when he takes center stage. Which, Darlo noticed with a quick glance to a pocket watch Specs gave him, it was just about time for.

Darlo looked around, and didn't see anyone paying any special attention to him or his bag. As nonchalant as he could, he broke away from the crowd and walked towards the terminal.

The area was cordoned off with a chain link fence and old construction equipment could be seen on the other side. If Specs was right, security should be busy enough watching the crowd, so Darlo should be able to slip in unnoticed, but it still wouldn't be easy.

Construction wouldn't be finalized for another week or two. Special doors were being made in the Fire Nation, so where ever there was an entrance there was a large gap in the walls. Darlo had many entry points to choose from. He decided on the one closest to the tiny lake they built next to the terminal. Darlo figured it was to provide a scenic view for passengers when they're inside and looking out the windows.

H_eh, that sounds about like something she'd do. That girl likes paintings too much._

For Darlo's purposes the small shrubs next to the fence could be used for cover while he finds an opening. Darlo wasn't much on sneaking around, but he'd get to be plenty loud in a minute or two. Specs also said everything would be set up for him once he got on the roof. Darlo had to wonder how he managed to sneak all that ahead of him. And he even wondered why he bothered getting Darlo to be D for him when he did alright on his own. But, Darlo wouldn't complain.

_Now, first thing's first…find the hole in the security._

Just like Specs told him, the guards weren't using an active moving patrol, rather a sentry system. The mystery man was on a roll. He hadn't been wrong yet. Darlo stopped and crouched when he got to the roof. There wasn't much cover up here other than the low waist high concrete railing, so Darlo kept low as he advanced. He could already see the sonicus set up, disguised to look like left over tools. He inched up to the edge and peeked over. The festivities were full swing. Earthbenders were launching small spheres of stone into the air that burst into fireworks.

It was time to get ready.

He slid the bag off his shoulder and started suiting up.

_**Top of Hangar 18…**_

The airship Discovery was another marvel of engineering, like the skyscrapers or the drill the Fire Nation used to break through the outer walls of Ba Sing Se.

From the landing gear to the very top, the Discovery stood approximately 210 feet off the ground. The crew and passenger carriage beneath the balloon portion itself was this same length long and could carry a total of 300 passengers and a crew of 40. From nose to the tail rudder the total length was 432 feet long. The airship featured a total of 8 propellers; three on both sides of the balloon and two dominant propellers at the back. Like the airships of the Great War, it was kept aloft in the air by using cells of a flammable, lighter than air gas. To prevent sparks the cells were made of very thick interwoven material, resistant to tears and coated in a flame retardant. The outside of the balloon was entirely made of metal and virtually impenetrable, save for one feature: several thin vents that opened and closed periodically to expel heat and keep the temperature in the balloon constant as well as make the environment inside tolerable for emergency in flight repairs.

That feature would be Mitsuro's target. He had scanned the schematics top to bottom, but he still didn't see how a single arrow would get the job done.

The shot would have to be perfect. Even for the arrow to make through the vent, it had to be timed perfectly as well. In addition, only a shot entering at an angle could hit one of the cells, the designers were clever enough to take this precaution. None of the vents lined up with a cell. So, Mitsuro would have to use the same arrow as the Avatar Revealing ceremony, since it was a clear day, he pained it light blue. Also taking into account the fact that the vents only opened or closed while the ship was airborne, Mitsuro would only take the shot while the airship was airborne and moving.

This shot would be far more difficult than the one he took what seemed like ages ago. And the sheer challenge intrigued Mitsuro to no end, but that didn't change the fact that there was no way a single arrow would destroy the Discovery.

Merely hitting the inner cells of the airship would do nothing, Mitsuro was certain of that. Lighting the arrow on fire would impede the arrow's flight, throwing off the trajectory, increasing the chance of a missed shot especially from this range. Even then, Mitsuro felt he could still make the shot, but the flame would be frail by the time it hit the cell. And at that point, the flame retardant would've snuffed out the flame, causing only a gas leakage at worse, something easily repairable. Of course, that was assuming the arrow didn't just bounce off, due to lost momentum the flickering flame would cause midflight. And still, this was but a footnote to the real reason why a lit arrow would be a terrible choice.

There would be thousands of eyes on the airship, and a flaming arrow isn't hard to see in a clear day. It would also leave a smoke trail behind it. If Mitsuro fires a flaming arrow, it would give away his position and Dai Li agents would be on him in a matter of seconds. They'd never get away. Missions where escape wasn't possible, wasn't missions for archers of Mitsuro's caliber.

This was the mission that they were so desperate for an archer for. After this was over, would they have any use for an archer? They hadn't until now, so what would change? Well, if Jung Su thought he was going to throw Mitsuro away once this was over, he was underestimating him greatly.

And he was showing even less care for a long time member in Baku. But, if Baku's lack of concern for his life being used as a tool to test Mitsuro, then would he be willing to throw his life away just to serve as a lighter for Mitsuro's arrow? All Mitsuro would need to do that alone was a match.

Mitsuro was not about to sacrifice himself today…but, there was an escape plan and the mission details imply that this arrow would do the trick. Also, he was told that Baku would help him, but the details on how were left vague. Yet, the only way Mitsuro knew how that could happen was if Baku lit the arrow. Which will not happen.

No matter how many times Mitsuro thought about it, the only way to succeed was for there to be someway to fire an unlit arrow and then cause a spark _within_ the cells, which was impossible. If it was, one cell would ignite the next and the entire airship would go up in flames. But, again, it wasn't.

Mitsuro must have been showing his concern on his face.

"Don't get psyched out on me, buddy," Baku said with his lizard smile. "All you have to do is make the shot, just leave the rest to me."

Mitsuro gave a hard look to Baku. "You are not lighting this arrow on fire. I won't let you," he said, his voice low and serious.

Baku looked like he wanted to burst out laughing but had to hold it in. In a voice garbled with snickers, he said, "You're in for a big surprise, buddy." He straightened out a bit. "Though I thought you already saw what I can do on that road the other weak. C'mon, Jung Su said you were perceptive."

Mitsuro started to ask what Baku was talking about, when a flash of light caught in his periphery. His head snapped around. It was from Lila's position. Three long flashes. Someone was close. Mitsuro put a finger to his lips and Baku nodded. They both went still.

The road? Then it all came back to him. Mitsuro had been so enamored in the mission and the apparent ridiculousness of what Mitsuro was supposed to accomplish, he'd forgotten all about what Baku and Lila had done. Yet, he still remembered Vivi. The mind works so mysteriously…

Baku touched a man on the forehead and he dropped dead a second later. Then, something else came back to Mitsuro. The day of the Avatar Revealing ceremony. The explosion. The newspapers said the explosion happened when the Ambassador stepped up to the podium...

He knew without a doubt it was Baku who was behind that. Mitsuro always assumed that he used some kind of explosive, but…there's what he did on that road. The bleeding from every opening in the bandit's head, like something burst open from the inside…

Is it really possible? Could someone actually have that kind of power?

Mitsuro knew that yes, someone could. In fact, someone did have that kind of power. Over 15 years ago, he nearly killed Avatar Aang. But, can Baku really do the same? Was there another explanation?

_Steel yourself, Mitsuro. None of this is important. Focus on what was in front of you, the rest would come in time. _

As if to serve as a reminder of where Mitsuro's mind should be, two slow flashes came from Lila's position. Good, they were clear. And it wasn't a moment too soon. The lights would've been hard to see in the ensuing bursts of fireworks high above their heads.

It was almost time.

"This is gonna be fun to see," Baku mused.

Mitsuro allowed himself to smile. "You're right. It will."

_**A quarter mile away from the airship courtyard…**_

None of this sat well with me.

It felt just like the Avatar Revealing. There's too many ways for this to go wrong. All these people, an early prototype of an airship that wasn't originally made to carry such a heavy cargo, and everywhere I looked, there seemed to be plenty of places for an attacker to strike from. Weren't these people thinking? The authorities knew full well about all the attacks, but they were too arrogant to think it was anything but vandalism since no one was hurt.

If they got off their asses and actually thought a bit, they'd realize the truth of all the thefts and other crimes are getting committed by those "delinquent ruffians". They'd realize there was more to these events than they were giving credit for. But, they didn't. There was so much danger lurking in the shadows now. So many people were plotting to destroy the world Aang worked so hard to build, it was next to impossible to hold them off while lurking in the shadows as well. But, it was necessary.

Until the next Avatar was revealed, all I could do was keep disrupting the groups that sought to raise anarchy. And make sure I did everything I could to protect the Avatar's only chance to maintain balance. I have to continue to protect Aang and Katara's legacy for as long as it takes.

Which meant that even though I could feel it in my bones that something very bad was about to happen, I couldn't risk her safety this time.

"Let's go," I said to her. I could see it in her eyes that she wants to do something, so I added, "We tried to get them to cancel, but they wouldn't listen. We can only hope for the best now. If we go down there and they get their hands on you, something far worse will happen. I failed to protect a lot of people in the past, but I absolutely won't let that happen again."

She looked so miserable. She knew something terrible was about to happen too, and hated this helpless feeling. It hurt to see her this way. "I know, uncle," she said sofly. "But still…"

_**Terminal rooftop…**_

__The festivities concluded and space was being cleared for the christening and launch. Normally, the Earth King would do the honors, but he wasn't present. He fell ill and stayed at the palace. The deed was done by some guy Darlo had never seen before. There was a countdown for the engines to start. Darlo crossed his fingers hoping it wouldn't start.

He should've known they would.

The propellers went to full blast and the airship started to take off. He had to admit, it was impressive to see. It still made him feel sick to his stomach. The crowd cheered as the Discovery rose into the air. Darlo did one last check on all the equipment, and made sure his mask was on straight and his ear plugs were firmly in place. He waited for the airship to start circling overhead, then he stepped up onto the railing holding the sonicus microphone and declared his presence.

"Greetings glorious citizens of the Earth Kingdom!"

To say that gasps are relatively quiet, they're quite loud when they're done by thousands of lungs. People started shouting and pointing. He saw some people sprinting to the terminal. Specs told him he wouldn't have much time to say what he had to say, before he needed to make his escape.

"I promised you that I would make an announcement, and what better stage when in front of thousands of my adoring fans?" Darlo let the boos play out for a bit. In his head he heard a ticking clock. "I've learned much about the state of the world in my time away from the limelight, and I've come away deeply saddened. This world is spiraling out of control, and no one is doing anything about it. This is something I shall not allow!" Darlo flared out his arms, trying for dramatic effect. "So, I am here to say that from this day forward, the man you refer to as D shall set the world ablaze-"

A bright flash of light from the sky cuts Darlo off. Then, a deafening roar. Even with his earplugs in, it hammered into his head. He felt the blood drain from his face as he turned around.

The Discovery was going up in flames, and hurtling towards the ground. But, it was worse than that, it was heading for the courtyard. A mad panic ensued, as everyone rushed to get from under the plummeting mass of fiery steel and death.

The airship pitched in the air and started change as the fireball melted the steering rudder. Its changed course to the ground now put it on a direct line to clip the terminal. Including where Darlo was standing.

Darlo didn't even remember starting to run, but everything became a blur. His mask flew off of his face, and he heard shouting as people were running onto the roof to arrest him saw that the, but they didn't matter. Even the knowledge that Zhi, Qin, and Akeno were all on that airship didn't matter to him. Only survival, mattered right now.

Fear and adrenaline gripped him, and propelled him forward. His mind couldn't focus on anything around him, only on his running straight ahead, towards the glinting light.

His body felt like it weighed nothing, his feet seemed to be spinning in the air on nothing at all. He wasn't even wholly aware of the heat of the burning airship as it grew closer and closer. The feeling of weightlessness wasn't real, he just was running fast. Extremely fast. He'd never gone at this speed before, the wind cutting against his face told him this. The fact that his arms were being blown back by the wind and he couldn't pump them anymore told him this. And the realization that his feet truly were spinning in the air on nothing at all told him this.

Darlo tumbled through the air as the airship crashed into the terminal in a violent crash of steel on stone. His vision was filled with fireballs and smoke. And then in the next instant, he was surrounded by cold water.

_Who would've thought, that girl's love of scenic views just saved my skin…_

Darlo thought too soon. Chunks of burning airship started plunging into the lake. Darlo righted himself in the water and swan for the bank, being sure to stay under the surface. He was more than half way there until he realized that some of the chunks of airship were actually people.

Blackened and burned beyond recognition. He swam on, feeling his lungs starting to strain, but he forced himself to keep going until his hands dug into the inclining bottom. He pulled himself out of the water and rolled as far away from the lake as possible. He came to a stop in tall grass.

Darlo doesn't get out of breathe much, but he was now. He was coughing up water and trying to breathe at the same time. He tried to sit up, but had no strength in his arms or legs. He could barely move his head, he craned his neck around. A thick cloud of black smoke billowed and rose into the air. Fires were breaking out. He could hear people wailing. And he heard the sound of trams pulling out of the nearby stations, taking people to safety.

_Oh man…it's just like…the revealing, _Darlo thought bitterly. _I should've known better than to get my hopes up._

He tired to get up again. Hell, he had even less strength now than he did the last time he tired. He'd never felt so weak before and he was getting weaker…

Darlo closed his eyes. He just needed to rest for a second…catch his breath…and…then…

_Footsteps thudded against the ground._

_Someone was walking nearby, then another person, and another. Someone started laughing, it was a high pitched cackle, or at least it felt like sounded funny…_

_"HA! Look at it burn! That was big boom, wasn't it Vivi?"_

_A girl giggled. "It sure was!"_

_A stern, third voice hushed them. "Keep your damn voices down. We're not free yet, the mission isn't complete until we're back at base."_

_The cackler laughed again. "Listen to you, 'back at base'. Trying to sound all professional, huh?"_

_More footsteps joined them, one sounded like it belonged to a rhino. "He is professional. That shot was perfect," a cool and confident voice said._

_A girl with a voice, apparently much older than the other one said, "Yeah, that was amazing." Her voice sounded like a woman who was…really enjoying…something._

_The cackler snorted. "Sure, but, what the hell was with D? He nearly ruined every-"_

_Cool and confident cut cackler off. "There will be time for this later. We're all present and accounted for, it's time to leave. Stay low, and no more talking until I say it's okay."_

_The footsteps drew closer and closer. Then they were walking just feet away…then...inches. Then a large foot swung in and…blackness._

_**Rei's apartment…**_

__Mitsuro unlocked the door and strode in with a feeling of proud triumph. This is how he would've felt before, had he succeeded in killing the new Avatar. It still amazed him how Baku made the arrow explode after just touching it. The blow they had just struck today would send shivers down the world's spine. He could only think of one way to celebrate today's success.

"Rei?" he called, sporting a lecherous look on his face as he tossed his bow on the couch.

No answer.

"Rei?" he called again. Was she in the shower? He checked, no she wasn't.

She wasn't here.

Mitsuro cursed. Why couldn't she just stay put? Where was she? He went to the sonicus phone to call the front desk and ask if they saw what direction she was heded, when he saw the note next to the phone.

He picked it up, then felt every muscle in his body tense up.

_**Earlier that day, Rei's apartment…**_

Rei opened the door and was immediately swamped by her girlfriends. They rolled off into an excite laughter and even jumped up and down together.

"Hey girl! Oh my gosh, you'll never guess what I just won!" Nyla shouted.

Rei still laughing. "Wow, that was random, but what is it?"

Nyla waved four tickets in front of her. "Tickets to ride on the Discovery! You so have to come with us!"

"Wow, that's great…" Rei stepped past her and peered down the hall. "But..."

Nyla caught on quick, she and the rest of her friends all stepped inside the apartment and shut the door. "Oh no, don't tell me he won't let you go."

Rei looked away, unsure. "He said he doesn't think it's safe."

Nyla scoffed. "Rei. You can't keep letting that lame excuse for a boyfriend run your life like this. I've told you from the beginning he was only after your money and he just wants to control you."

Rei jerked like someone hit her. "No! You're wrong. That's...not true! You're wrong, Nyla!" Her voice was shaky and unsure.

Nyla placed her hand on Rei's shoulder. "Look, I'm sorry, but I just don't want to see you getting hurt. But, you just can't let him order you around. He's not the boss of you, Rei. And you don't want him to drive apart our friendship, right?"

Rei bit her lip. Nyla looked over her shoulder and gave them a "help me out guys" look.

Kari, Nyla's older sister by nine months, stepped forward "Okay, how about this? We go, ride on the Discovery, and come right back? You yourself said how he goes out for hours at a time and gets back at sunset or later. We ride the Discovery by noon, and have you back here at 1:30. Mitsuro will never have to know a thing. What do you say?"

Rei thought about it for a minute, her face brightened up a bit. "And you really think he'll never find out?"

Kari, Nyla, and the third friend named Izumi, all said, "Cross our hearts and hope to die." Then they laughed.

Rei smiled. "Oh, okay. You know I can't say no to you! I'll get my purse and freshen up!" She turned and bounded into the bedroom.

Five minutes later, they were leaving when Rei stopped. "Wait, I forgot something, you just go ahead, 'kay?"

Rei ran and grabbed a notepad and her pen and scribbled out a note:

_If you're reading this, Mitsuro, then I'm not home yet. I know you'll be mad, but I went to the Discovery launch with my girlfriends. I just felt like I needed to have fun with friends too. You've been out so much with your friends, so I hope you understand. We'll talk later._

_Love you, _

_Rei_

Mitsuro stood staring at the note. This was unbelievable…Rei…Rei…was…SO DAMN STUPID!

He whirled and threw the note against the wall. That stupid, stupid girl! All she had to do was sit here and wait for him. And she probably would have too. Damnit! He should've never let her keep those stupid friends. Now they'd gotten themselves and Rei killed. They've got no one to blame but their own stupidity.

_DAMNIT!_

Mitsuro's pent up energy he was saving for Rei was taken out on the apartment. He overturned tables and threw chairs out of the window until he felt too _tired_ to continue. He was left panting like an animal in the middle of a once first class apartment living room that was now completely trashed.

He couldn't stay here anymore. Mitsuro couldn't take any money out of Rei's bank without her being there, which meant he couldn't pay the monthly bills.

Mitsuro kicked over an already kicked over tea table. He should've married her when he had the chance. Now where could he go to live? He refused to live on the streets again.

He looked out the window and saw the still rising, plume of smoke in the far distance.

_Ah…that's it._

_**Ezeru's house…**_

When word reached about what happened at the airship port, Ezeru had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't place it, but…he had a feeling that he would never see the Soto's again.

His mother would confirm this when she read over the list of all the passengers. The Soto's were among the 300 people who won tickets to ride the airship.

There were no survivors.

Ezeru would find out from close friends of the Soto's that when they won the tickets they were so excited, they for Ba Sing Se immediately. They said they would put a note on the front door for Ezeru since he didn't have a phone. Ezeru went back and didn't find the note, only a small tack that held it to the door.

There would be large funeral held at Ba Sing Se for the people who died in the explosion and a small monument was to be built on the site of the airship port. Contrary to citizen protests the terminal and port would be rebuilt, in addition to the airships. This would've been even stoutly opposed to the point of completely halting the construction if the incident had been labeled a mechanical failure, but this was labeled as an attack from extremists.

The primary suspect was D, the Red Striker.

Security at the Ba Sing Se walls was elevated to near wartime levels, and the only people who would be allowed to attend the funeral would be close relatives of the deceased, so even if Ezeru was willing to return to Ba Sing Se for the funeral, he wouldn't be allowed in. So, he paid his respects at their shop, which was already sold off, and at their house, also sold off, when the day of the funeral came.

Again, Ezeru was jobless. But, this time, he decided not to go back job hunting again. Two jobs in a row were touched with tragedy. Ezeru wasn't superstitious, but he could recognize a grim trend. So, Ezeru took his family's advice. He stopped working and took a vacation, or at least that's what Wu Lin called it.

_**Six months later…**_

Giala was glad that her son was taking time away from working, and to keep to it for so long. She could tell that this was restoring bits of him that he'd lost. His eyes didn't carry so much strain. It was still there, and sadly it might always be there thanks to his circumstance, but even seeing a marginal drop, did her heart good.

However, it seemed that _not_ working proved to be one of the most difficult "jobs" her son ever had. He still woke up at six in the morning sharp every day. He would get dressed and clean up, and be out of the door before remembering he didn't have anywhere to go. He would go through the motions without a cause. And he never noticed he did all these things without thinking about it until Giala told him about it. So, Giala suggested that until this routine is broken, he rededicate himself to his bending practice, or just take walks around town. And maybe make a friend.

Giala wanted so much for him to live like a normal boy his age, even though she knew he was closer to being an adult mentally. She didn't want him to become socially inept. Human beings need to be with other human beings, but her son lived in a world separated from others.

She knew why, it was because he didn't want to hurt anyone. Didn't want them to get too close, for their own protection. It was noble, but it wasn't healthy. People need friends, male or female. Giala's sister thought it was more about the latter.

Wu Lin had been singing the "you should get a girlfriend" tune for a while, but he had long since wrote that off as a joke or just another Wu Lin quirk. Giala wasn't in a hurry to marry her son off to anyone, but she sometimes wondered if he'd ever spoken to a girl at all. Wu Lin would always tell him about things like complimenting a girl if she ever told him her name, but even though Giala knew her son better than anyone, she didn't know if he ever listened to Wu Lin. And though he would talk about his day when asked, he never mentioned girls. Wu Lin once suggested that maybe he wasn't "into girls". Giala's hand still stung from when she popped her.

Giala knew her son, and he was not like that. He kept people away, but perhaps more than anything, he'd keep girls away the most. Her son may stay single the rest of his life. By slow parts, Giala was going to just be resigned to that.

Maybe it was this knowledge of her son was why it was such a tremendous shock on so many levels, when one day, her son came home early; with another boy (who had the strangest hair Giala had ever seen); and a beautiful, unconscious, white haired girl, covered in heavy bruises and cuts. He held her in one arm, and had a look of concern and worry on his face that Giala hadn't seen since she was paralyzed.

And in a panicked voice, Giala hadn't heard since then, he shouted, "Please, she needs help!"

_Next chapter…_

_Chapter 11: The Fated Meeting_


	12. Chapter 11: The Fated Meeting

_Chapter 11: The Fated Meeting_

_**Ba Sing Se...**_

_**Four years ago…  
**_

"That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!" Qin exclaimed to his brother and Akeno as they filed out of the stadium. It was another classic game for D, The Red Striker; three goals, four assists, and five steals. Scrounging up what little money they had, the three friends bought the cheapest tickets they could afford. It would've been unacceptable to not have gone to at least one game.

Another fan shouted his approval, he was clearly drunk, and he sputtered out a bunch of gibberish that ended in a garbled "D ish ve grebbesh, jeahhh!"

A couple dozen yards away, a small crowd was gathering. "What's going on over there?" Akeno asked.

Zhi, using the binoculars they used to see the game action from the cheap seats, said, "It's D. Looks like he's talking to reporters."

"I always thought most players weren't allowed to do solo interviews."

Zhi shrugged. "D isn't like most players."

Qin, who liked D more than either of them, said in a squeaky voice he tends to get when excited, "We've got to get closer." He was already moving before he finished the sentence. Akeno looked at Zhi, who shrugged again and started after his younger brother. By the time they made it over, the crowd size had doubled, and they only caught a few glimpses of D.

Every game D would wear a new mask. This mask was made of shiny, silver cloth and had a red dragon design on the face. As usual, he wore a long sleeved shirt and pants, and silver and red gloves to match his mask.

After D finished with the interviews, he started signing autographs for his fans, most of whom were females. Not that there weren't males asking for D's autograph, but that D was only signing for the girls.

Zhi nudged Qin. "You see that? I told you D was putting on for the ladies," he said with a leer.

Qin scoffed and rolled his eyes. "No, I didn't see that. I can't see anything except the guy in front of me's butt. I'm not a tree like you after all."

Zhi laughed. Akeno, who was chewing on some rock candy, burped and whined, "This is boring. We can't see anything except people's backs, and only Zhi is tall enough to know what's going on. Let's go already."

Qin tried to press in closer, but was denied. He let out a sigh. "I guess you're right."

They left the small mob scene around D and went to what Zhi dubbed "The Hideout" that was only five blocks down the street from the stadium.

It was an abandoned storefront on the corner of two alleys by a 14 story apartment complex. It used to face into an open marketplace years ago, but when the Earth Kingdom's economic emphasis shifted from public marketing into vertical expansion to maximize space, lots of places were closed down. Akeno found the place when he dropped a donut and it rolled into the alley. It was during the winter and they were hopelessly bored at the time, so they cleaned up the place a bit and crashed there whenever they got bored again.

They couldn't think of anything else to do, so they started playing a card game until it was time to go home. Akeno had just come in last in the fourth consecutive game and was whining again when they heard the sound of a garbage can being knocked over. They had the same look of surprise and the hope that something interesting would happen. Zhi was the first one to the window that was still boarded up. Squinting through the gaps in the boards, he saw a figure in the shadow of the wall he just jumped over stand the can back up. Zhi couldn't see him, but he could tell the person wasn't very tall or big.

"What is-" Akeno started.

Zhi cut him off with a raised finger.

The person suddenly jerked. He looked left and right. Then Zhi heard him mumble, "Stop being paranoid." Then the person stepped into the light for the first time and Zhi knew exactly who it was.

He turned, eyes wide, then, without saying what he turned to say, looked back outside. It immediately got Akeno and Qin's attention. Without saying anything they gave him an exasperated look, "Who is it?"

Zhi whispered, "It's D! It's D!" And he flagged them over to look through the cracks in the window. Moving quick, they all huddled against the window. Qin was leaning heavily on Zhi's shoulder while Akeno was looking in from the side. The window wasn't very wide, so Akeno's didn't have a good enough angle to get a clear view.

Qin recognized him instantly too, and he probably wanted to start shrieking like one of D's fangirls, but instead started quickly patting Zhi on his shoulder.

"It's him! It's him!" Qin said in a blubbering whisper.

Akeno tried to press closer, "It is? I can't see," he said in a voice louder than a whisper. Zhi and Qin's combined "Shhh!" was almost louder than Akeno, but D didn't hear them.

D's back was to them and he was kneeling on the ground, reaching into crack of the wall he just leapt over. He pulled out a small brown sack, and he brushed off some dust from it. Still looking around, he reached for his mask.

Qin was trembling with excitement. Akeno was still pressing closer, forcing all of them more up against the window. None of them could believe what they were seeing. No one, _no one_, had seen D unmasked. Qin was practically on top of Zhi's back, and Akeno was still pushing in to see better.

"Oh man, he's really taking his mask off!" Qin said, going back to beating on Zhi's shoulder.

The mask came up, and thick, but short strands of black hair fell out.

"This is it!"

Akeno whined again, "What's happening? I wanna see!"

A chair was right next to him, and he decided to climb on it to see over Zhi and Qin. His foot slipped and he fell hard on Qin and Zhi's backs. Akeno's weight carried them all forward, and into the boarding. With a sharp crack and a splintering of wood, the boarding on the window gave away, and they all tumbled out.

"Ahh!" D shouted as he spun around to the noise. He saw them piled up and tried to run, but he ran straight into the same trash can he just knocked over. He tripped over it and banged his head hard against the wall. He didn't move again.

Qin was the first on his feet. "Oh no! I just killed D!" He ran over to his body. "He's dead! He's dead!" Qin wailed.

Zhi was second off the ground. "Will you calm down?! Calm down!" He commanded looking just as scared as Qin was. He knelt by D's body and put his hand under his nose. He let out a relieved sigh. "He's still breathing."

Akeno finally joined them, rubbing his arm. "Sheesh, that's D? What's with his hair?"

Qin was still shaking. "Damn it, Akeno. I finally get to meet D, and you knock him out!"

"I didn't knock anything out. Not my fault if he's clumsy."

Zhi rolled D over, he was bleeding from a cut on the top of his head. "Will you two shut up give me a hand? Let's take him inside, so we can get some towels or something on this cut."

Qin moved to help, but Zhi realized that D wasn't all that heavy. They brought him inside and laid him down on a couch that Akeno's mom was going to throw out, but instead they dragged it here. D was out at least 8 minutes before he began to stir, his eyes fluttering every few seconds, but he still wasn't conscious. They were all standing over him, looking at D's face.

"Wow, he doesn't look any older than me," Qin mused.

"Yellow eyes. Think he's Fire Nation?" Zhi wondered.

"What's with his hair?" Akeno asked.

"He could be. But, he could be from that desert to the southwest. They have a lot of people with dark skin like this. Or from the tropics in southern Fire Nation. It gets just as hot there, and I think there's a clan known for having dark skin like this around there."

"What's with his hair?"

"They still have clans from way back then?" Zhi asked.

Qin nodded. "Yeah, they might be only one left."

"What's with his hair?"

Zhi and Qin lost their tempers at the exact same time. "Damn it, Akeno!"

Akeno winced like someone hit him. "What? I thought you couldn't hear me."

Zhi shook his head. "We could hear you, fatso, we were just ignoring-"

Qin pointed at D. "He's waking up!"

He gave a weak groan as he sat up, rubbing the top of his head. "Ngh…my head. What the…?" He noticed everyone around him. He retreated against the other side of the sofa. "What did you do to me? Who are you?"

Qin held up his palms. "Easy, easy. You fell and banged your head. You were bleeding and me and my brother did what we could to stop it." Zhi and Qin's mother was a nurse and they used to help out at the clinic she worked from time to time. They picked up a few things from her. Qin was planning on becoming a doctor someday. Zhi felt he could, he was the smart one after all.

D started looking around with a funny look on his face.

Zhi chuckled a little, "Yeah, we know it's rustic."

Still rubbing his head, D scoffed. "Rustic? Try ancient. Try one strong breeze away from turning into a pile of moldy wood." Everyone but D laughed at that.

"So, who are you guys anyway?"

"I'm Zhi. He's my little brother, Qin. And the big one here is Akeno."

Akeno gave a weak wave, then said, "What's with your hair, D?"

Everyone could see the blood drain from D's face. He touched his head with both hands now, realizing for the first time he was unmasked. "Oh crap!" He jumped up from the sofa. His eyes rolled back slightly into his head and he wobbled back down. "Oh crap…" he said much weaker than a second ago. "Oh…crap…"

"He's weak from blood loss-," Qin explained.

"But…he only bleed out for a couple seconds…" Akeno started.

Zhi amended. "Or just dizzy. He could have a concussion." Zhi wasn't as smart as his brother, but he knew some diagnosis too.

"Either way, you'd better not try to move for a while," Qin said.

D mumbled something none of them could make out.

"What'd he say?" Akeno asked, still in the same whining tone.

D shook his head and let out a weak chuckle, "I said, 'Great, my secret identity was found out by a bunch of idiots.'"

Everyone fell silent, until D added, "But...then again, what does that make me, you know?"

And that made everyone laugh again. They sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes.

"So…D…you always hid a change of clothes in that bag in that same alleyway?" Qin finally asked.

D sighed. "No. I switched up locations. Sometimes I'd hide it on top of buildings or in broom closets in big buildings."

Zhi asked, "Why go through all that? Or all of this for that matter? Why wear the mask? Why hide the sack out in the public, and not at your house?"

"Yeah, and what's with your hair?"

D glowered at Akeno. "What's with your stomach?"  
That brought out another round of laughs, but not from Akeno.

"Anyway, I've got my reasons..Zhi, right?"

Zhi nodded. "Yeah, that's my name. But really, it just doesn't seem to make sense that you'd-"

Qin cut him off. "Leave him alone! He doesn't need to tell us anything!"

Zhi pretended to be scared. "Whoa, mercy. Please show mercy. I'm sorry if I insulted your idol."

D's eyebrows raised. " 'Your idol'?"

Qin started to blush. Zhi threw his arm over his shoulders, getting his brother in a headlock. "Oh yeah, this guy's crazy about you. Thinks you're the hottest thing since blue fire."

"Hey! Let go of me!" Qin exclaimed trying to pull his head free.

D smirked. "Heh, always nice to meet a fan. When they aren't trying to mob me and rip off my mask, that is." He nodded towards his mask that Qin was still holding. "Though…maybe I should take back that last part."

For what seemed like the tenth that day, they all laughed. And for the first time, D laughed with them.

D tried to stand again, but he didn't fall back down. He started pacing around the room, looking through boarded windows. "You know…this is just the kinda place I need. In fact, this place is perfect"

"Really? This run down place?" Akeno deadpanned.

"It being run down is exactly why it's perfect. I need a place like this to go after home games so I can change without getting spotted again. It's the perfect distance away from the stadium. It's off the street. And best of all it looks deserted, so if I ever get chased by screaming fans, they'd run right by. The perfect little…'Hideout.' So…" he turned to them. "…what do you say?"

Zhi asked, "What do we say about what?"

"I slip in here after games, change, then get out of your hair before you know it. How about it? Deal?" D extended his hand.

Qin was beaming as bright as the sun; his answer was obvious. Akeno seemed still a little down about getting insulted, but he didn't offer any objections. As already stated, Zhi wasn't as big a fan of D as his brother, but more than anything Zhi was waiting for something exciting to happen. Even if it was just for a few times a week, they'd get to hang out with the hottest celebrity in the Earth Kingdom. Could it get any more exciting than that? Zhi extended his hand, but when D reached for it, Zhi pulled it back.

D's brow furrowed a bit.

"Two conditions," Zhi said sternly.

D matched his tone. "Name them."

"One, you get us tickets to every home game."

Darlo nodded. "I could probably work in away games too, if you want."  
Qin squealed, "Absolutely, I would!"

D chuckled, though maybe more to himself than anyone else. "And the second one?

"You tell us your real name."

D seemed to be unsure about it. "Only if you guys swear on your lives not to tell anyone? And not just my name either, that you know what I look like. I need to stay unknown until I win the championship."

"Oh trust me, you don't have to worry about that on me or my brother's end, though Akeno…"

"Hey, I can keep a secret!" Akeno protested

"So long as no one bribes you with a bowl of Pikaki's noodles," Zhi said with a laugh.

D smirked. "Fine then, I accept. The name's Darlo."

"Alright, Darlo, we have ourselves a deal," Zhi said mocking his dad's business man tone.

Qin got the joke and laughed again. Akeno probably didn't, but laughed anyway, then he said, "So, Darlo-"

"Damn it, Akeno! Enough about my hair!"

_**Four years later...  
Chen Yi Forest, just outside Bumi city limits…  
**_

That's how it started. Darlo fell and bust his head, they patched him up, and he struck a deal to use their hideout. And that's all Darlo intended to do, use them for that hideout. Yet where Darlo was concerned, things didn't always go as planned.

They were with Darlo every step of the way from that point on. Even after the debacle in the championship game, even after all his "fans" turned on him, the guys stuck by him. And when he finally told them what motivated him to stay hidden while in the spotlight, why he did what he did, the way he did it, they understood and agreed to help Darlo any way they could so he could achieve his goal. They stuck by Darlo for four years, following him all over the place when he wanted them too and waiting for him when he needed to go alone. They even, more or less, ran away from home just to help Darlo out.

He always tried to keep them separated from anything he did that was dangerous or could get them in trouble. He never put them in any unnecessary danger and even when Zhi wanted to be in on the action, Darlo always let them do something that carried the least amount of chance to get them hurt.

Maybe he did that because he cared about them to some degree.

Maybe it was because they were the only true friend's ever had.

Whatever the reason, it didn't matter now.

The guys were dead. Just…dead. Just like that. And now, Darlo was alone.

Again.

He'd forgotten what that felt like in those four years. But, he sure remembered now, and remembered how much it royally sucked. In the six months since the Discovery went up in flames, Darlo also came to realize the old adage: You never miss something until it's gone.

And Darlo remembered that he hated adages.

Perhaps Darlo shouldn't be thinking about stuff like this and maybe should be concentrating on avoiding the angry men Darlo just stole from. Yeah, that would make sense. But, then again, nothing about this made sense.

Why was he even doing odd jobs for Tao again? Didn't he spend six months following Specs instructions to the letter? Didn't he already win? Wasn't he just told _fourteen hours_ ago that he'd just gotten his wish? Yup, he sure was and he sure did. Darlo's quest was finally over. So, why didn't it feel like it? And why was that feeling enough to bring him back to that same old hag's shop?

Whatever the reason, it had Darlo too distracted. A simple job like "get my merchandise from those three deadbeats" should've been nothing. She didn't even care if Darlo roughed them up this time or whatever Darlo did to get the stuff back. That meant he could approach this job anyway he wanted.

But, just waltzing up to them, kicking the guy in the face, grabbing the stuff, and running? That wasn't even close to "Darlo style." Where was the flare? Where's the creativity? All that was absent from Darlo today. And what about the adrenaline rush that pulling it off was supposed to give him? Where was that "elite breakaway speed" at now? He felt slow and he was slow. That's why the brutes were able to chase him all the way out into the forest. Or maybe it was because Darlo had just been out of practice. He hadn't gone out running for weeks. But either way-

"You can't run forever, you little punk!" Chang Ngu shouted somewhere behind him.

_Oh yeah, that's right. I'm running for my life here. Persistent bunch of thugs aren't they? What's so special about a stupid _flute_ anyway?_

_**Just off the banks of the Chen Yi river…**_

The rain last night was something quite unexpected. Ezeru couldn't predict the weather, but the sky looked so clear, and the full moon shone so brightly that that the sheets of rain that came pouring down surprised him even in his intense meditative state while he was training. Especially with how sudden and hard it was. He'd trained in the rain before, but it never felt more like a force was trying to knock him off the cliff side before. Though as intense as the rain was, Ezeru never broke his stance. Something he knew he would never be capable of doing before.

In the six months since he stopped working, he could honestly feel how much stronger his bending was. Lapses in control were few and far between, and he was sleeping much easier. He no longer woke up early in the mourning as if he were still working and he found he could actually sit at home all day and…relax.

Even now, he was walking through the forest, but with no particular reason in mind. This new life of being lax was very…nice. But, Ezeru knew that eventually he'd have to get another job. He was actually getting used to doing nothing, but he couldn't let himself become lazy. He felt that he would know when it was time to go back to work somewhere. The last two jobs ended badly, and though neither was his fault, he still felt responsible.

Ezeru's next job would have to be something-

Someone charged through the trees to his left. Ezeru turned to face them, and they ran full force into his chest. Ezeru didn't budge and inch, but the person was knocked off his feet. Ezeru saw his face and recognition came instantly.

This exact situation happened before several months ago. Ezeru was in a marketplace searching for a job when this same person ran headlong into Ezeru's chest. Even the look on his face when he peered up at Ezeru was the same…

No, it wasn't the same this time. This time the person's face looked…strained, almost saddened. And at the same time distressed.

The person seemed to recognize Ezeru too, but before he could say anything, three men burst from the trees on ostrich horses, one of them had a heavy beard and was carrying a heavy sword. The two other men dismounted and rushed forward, roughly grabbed the person on the ground. He was in obvious pain. He cursed and started to struggle when one of them clapped a hand over his mouth. Ezeru remembered the last time he bounced back up and kept running no problem. Though, Ezeru remembered that he didn't run into his chest as hard as he did this time.

"I knew you couldn't run forever," the bearded said cocksure. His face looked swollen and some blood dripped from his nose. To Ezeru he said, "You stopped him for us, huh? Thanks, but it'd be best if you keep on going and forget you ever saw anything, alright, big man?"

Ezeru said nothing and did nothing. He only looked at the person from before struggle against the bigger men holding him. He was avoiding eye contact all together as he thrashed weakly from side to side. He was covered in sweat and was panting as if he'd been running for a long time.

The man with the beard stepped in close to Ezeru. He was tall, but not as tall as Ezeru. "You deaf? I said beat it and forget we were here. Don't think because you're big and tall I'm supposed to be afraid of you." He turned back to the person from before, reached inside his red vest, and retrieved something a small cylinder wrapped in a leather casing. "This little punk stole from me. What I do with him is none of your businesses. Now, get lost!"

What was this guy's deal? What's he sticking around for? Darlo remembered this big man. He ran into after he knocked a thug named Jeishi's gold tooth out. He looked just like he did back then, including having the weird damaged gasa that partially obstructed his eyes, and his heavily bandaged right arm.

Chang Ngu, the mustachioed brute's threat didn't make this guy move, but he did speak. "If he stole from you, then he should be brought to the authorities," he said speaking softly. His voice seemed too soft and gentle to be coming from such a tall and muscular person. It was kind of eerie and almost…intimidating.

Darlo should probably be trying to get away, but he was too exhausted to do much more than watch, while he sucked wind. Not being able to breathe through the mouth made breathing hard, and on top of that this guy's hand stank.

_Maybe, if this guy could stall them a little longer… _

"Maybe I don't want to. And maybe you're beginning to piss me off!" Without warning Chang Ngu punched the man in the face with his free hand. The man's head gave with the punch and his head turned sharply. The motion made his gasa slip off his head and hang from the strap around his neck. The man obviously closed his eyes when hit, so when opened them they could see his eyes clearly and it was…even more eerie. Darlo didn't know if he was seething with anger or indifference, but it was unmistakable that Chang Ngu's punch didn't hurt him at all.

"Leave! Or you'll get worse than just a punch to the face!" Chang Ngu growled.

The man held that head position when he said, "Do not fight me." His voice now sounded…remorseful.

Chang Ngu looked over his shoulder as if to say, "What's with this guy?" Darlo noticed that the hand Chang Ngu hit him with was suddenly red. His other hand tightened on the sword. Darlo knew before it happened what Chang Ngu would do.

He swung a short armed hack at the guy's head that-

The man _caugh_ by the wrist and stopped Chang Ngu cold. It didn't even look like it took any effort either. Chang Ngu's expression matched that of Darlo and his two lackeys.

"I did not wish to fight," the man said, still with a gentle, neutral tone. Like he was having a conversation about someone who died with a complete stranger who wasn't trying to slice his face off. "But, you forced me into this." The man's grip on Chang Ngu's hand tightened.

Chang Ngu cried out as he tried to pull his hand out, but that wasn't happening. The man was crushing his wrist. Chang Ngu couldn't hold the sword anymore and it slipped out of his hand and landed blade first into the ground. He punched the man in the chest, and if the man so much as grunted, Darlo didn't hear it. "Urnok! Meishu! Don't just stand there, you idiots!"

Meishu, the one who's stinky hand was over his mouth moved, just a little bit, and that's when Darlo bit the man's hand. He cried out, and Darlo got a mouthful of foulness and blood. His grip on Darlo slackened and Darlo managed to get enough room to kick over his head. He got Meishu in the forehead with his shin with a sharp _twock._ It hurt Darlo as much as it probably hurt Meishu. His head snapped back and he fell away from Darlo. Darlo landed and tried to attack Urnok, but pain shot up through his shin. It caused his knee to buckle, and Darlo dropped to one knee. Meisu grabbed Darlo's arm raised a weak fist, "You little-" Darlo smashed his elbow into his face and he was out.

Damn. Darlo was really off his game, he never missed a kick before. He saw Urnok out of the corner of his eye. He'd drawn his club and was about ready to literally crack Darlo's skull.

Oh, d_amn it, damn it, damn it!!_

Darlo heard the faint crunching sound, almost like shifting rock and there was a flurry of movement behind him. Or rather there was just one _big_ movement. An instant later a screaming Chang Ngu flew over Darlo's head and into Urnok. They both crashed into a tree. All the sudden movement spooked the ostrich horses and they brayed, then ran off.

Darlo blinked at the unconscious pile of humanity.

Holy crap! This guy just tossed Chang Ngu like a salad! When Darlo turned back, the guy was looming over him.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice was neutral. His gasa was back on his head and it cast his face in shadow. Darlo felt like he was staring up at a massive statue again.

"Uh…no," Darlo lied.

Darlo noticed that his bandaged right arm never moved from his side, his thumb hooked in a pocket. Then, in a surprisingly cold move, he stepped over Darlo like he was stepping over a damn pile of crap, and started walking away. "Then, you should leave before they wake up."

On this shin, Darlo wasn't going anyone fast, and he still intended on getting Tao that damn flute. And, the guy was right that he didn't want to be around when they came to. Darlo half dragged, half crawled over to Chang Ngu's body and took back the flute. He hopped up to his feet, and winced at the pain the shot up his shin. "Hey, wait! Wait, damn it!"

A lot was going through Darlo's mind just then about this guy. He felt angry for having to get saved. He felt weak for walking after the big man for his own safety. He was bummed out about missing that kick and hurting himself. And he felt disrespected at how nonchalantly this guy stepped over him like he wasn't there. But most of all was an emotion he hadn't felt since grade school. He didn't like it anymore then as he did now.

_Great, this guy just showed me up, and damn it all, it was one of the coolest things I've ever seen…_

Ezeru had walked nearly a mile and a half. And the man with the strange hair was still following him, but the effort looked a little labored to him and he had a limp. He clearly lied when he said he wasn't hurt. Ezeru didn't like dishonest people. Or thieves. When the person tried walking right behind him, Ezeru looked over his shoulder. He gave a somewhat confrontational look at Ezeru, as if he wanted to get into an argument about something, but let some distance come between them anyway.

Ezeru didn't have anything on him except enough money to buy a plate of food at Aunt Meng's, but he wasn't about to let this person steal from him. Ezeru would have walked off the path entirely and left him here, but his injury made the chances of him fending those men off if they caught up very slim. As soon as Ezeru got close to the city limits, he'd tell the thief to go about his business.

The man appeared to have wanted to say something for a while, but only decided then to say it. "So, about back there…and even now…look, I'm not a charity case. I would've gotten out of that on my own, you didn't need to interfere."

Ezeru said nothing.

The man's limp was about gone now, Ezeru only knew because the pacing of his footsteps changed. He wouldn't look at him. "But…I just think it's best if you know that Chang Ngu isn't a forgetful or forgiving man. He's bound to think you're working with me now, and might attack you if he sees you again. So…you've put yourself in an awkward position, is what I'm trying to say. I just felt that you should know."

Ezeru stopped walking abruptly.

The man's eyes went wide and he looked around. "What? Is it Chang Ngu?"

"In front of me," Ezeru said sternly.

He was looking around. "Where in front of you? Is he hiding, or what?"

"Walk in front of me."

He crinkled his brow, whether it was out of confusion or at being commanded, Ezeru didn't know. Or particularly care. He couldn't tolerate the idea of not being able to see him now.

He trades off a simple show of gratitude for a warning? Ezeru didn't even know what this person's name was, but Ezeru was finding just being in his presence was difficult.

He raised his voice. "Hey, I don't take orders from you! I don't care if you were in the army or not-"

"I was NEVER in the army! Never!" Ezeru erupted before he realized it, and he regretted twice over.

The nameless person didn't back down and shouted back. "Who do you think you're-"

"Do you hear that? I think they're over here!" someone called out. It was fairly close and they could hear the sound of snapping tree branches as Chang Ngu and his partners closed in.

The nameless man cursed and crouched down. "They've found us," he rasped under his breathe, an angry look on his face.

Ezeru quickly looked around, spotted some dense, waist high shrubs to the left. Ezeru motioned for the man to follow him. He looked like he wanted to protest again, but another branch snapped in the distance. They both crouched stepped off the road and into some dense, prickly shrubs.

They couldn't risk running and being spotted. Ezeru knew the Chen Yi river was behind him, and this close to the city the waters were too fast and deep to walk across, and Ezeru couldn't swim. They both laid flat on the ground. Thorns scratched at Ezeru's skin, and he hoped that the plants weren't poisonous.

Even through the thick brush, Ezeru could make our Chang Ngu's form picking his way through the woods, slashing away at branches in his way with his sword. The road Ezeru and the thief were following followed the curving Chen Yi's flow mostly and it curved in a looping semicircle in this area. Ezeru and the thief knocked them out just as the road began to curve. Instead of following the road their selves, the thugs cut through the thick forest, taking them on a more direct, straight line path. It was no wonder they could catch up.

_What were they still chasing us? Did the thief still have what he stole from them?_ Ezeru wondered.

The thief cursed under his breathes. "They're going to see our footprints; we're going to have to fight."

Ezeru stayed silent, and he felt his jaw clench. The thief was right. Once they saw the footprints end right in front of them, no matter how well hidden they were, they'd know they stepped off the road. Ezeru had to make those footprints disappear, but how could he? He couldn't stand up and get into any horse stance, and he wasn't confident enough in his bending to do it lying down, was he?

"I think it was somewhere around here," a voice different than Chang Ngu said. They were so close…

"Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap," Darlo muttered over and over again to himself. They were sitting turtle-ducks here. Darlo's leg felt much better now, he was sure if he got up and ran right now he'd be able to outrun them, but he wasn't so sure about the big guy next to him. He'd be left alone to fight them, and strong as he was, these guys were strong too. And there was three of them,.

Wait, what was Darlo thinking? Helping this guy out? Why? Why shouldn't Darlo make a break for it? Yeah, get up right now and run. Go ahead and do it, Darlo. No shame in retreating when it made a bunch of sense. Tao was probably wondering why he was taking so long anyway. So…why was Darlo still laying in the dirt in some prickly bush?

Well, damn it, Darlo knew why. He owed this guy. He owed him for butting in and saving his skin and he owed him for showing him up. Darlo knew he couldn't leave it at that. It would've eaten at him.

_Screw it._

Darlo planted his hand and started to rise. The big man grabbed his arm, and shook his head "no." Darlo started shake loose. The man looked at Darlo and then straight ahead. What was he doing? Nothing was out there but the footprints that were about to lead Chang Ngu right to them.

The big man answered Darlo's confused look by finally moved that right arm of his. In a slow and labored movement his arm stretched in front of his face and he plunged his hand underground. He saw the bandages shift slightly on his arm, like muscles were tensing in his arm. Darlo wasn't sure what the heck was going on until the guy pointed out to the road. Then Darlo saw it.

The soft dirt road was hardening into rock. The footprints looked like they were being filled in with rock and vanished.

_Oh, so the guy's an Earthbender? Okay…whatever._

The road hardened just in time. Chang Ngu and his cronies burst through the foliage as the last footprint filled in. A segment of road some twenty feet long was now as hard as concrete. The only problem was the road went back to being soft right after. Darlo hoped Chang Ngu was as smart as he thought he was and wouldn't notice that only the road where they just came out wouldn't leave a footprint.

Chang Ngu growled his disappointment like a frustrated dog. "Spread out! I know they're around here."

Great. Just when it looked like the big guy pulled a save out of nowhere.

_Snap._

Darlo froze. It wasn't him or the big man. It came from somewhere up the road, just off the right side. It sounded like someone moving through the brush.

Chang Ngu tore up the road. "This way, you mongrels!"

_Snap._

This time it was a little further away, harder to hear. And Chang Ngu kept running, berating his flunkies to keep up.

_Snap. Snap. Snap. Snap_

Even further away now, and happening in rapid succession. Like someone picking up speed and running away. What was going on? Darlo looked over to the big man. His hand was still plunged underground, and he was sweating. He his eyes were closed and his lips were twisted with effort.

Son of a…who is this guy? Was Darlo really supposed to believe that? That he used Earthbending to break branches?

Darlo waited a minute or two, then slowly crawled backwards out of the brush to see if they were gone. He straightened up a bit. Good, he couldn't see them anymore. Looks like the big man _did_ come up with a save. But, just to be sure, Darlo moved back some more to get a better look around the curve, since a big tree blocked his view.

Ezeru didn't know how much longer he could do this; he couldn't tell where they were clearly anymore. He could barely feel their footsteps, much less keep the small mound of earth moving through the forest ahead of them. He'd never done anything like this before, and he might have been putting too much energy into it. If he put too much energy into it, he had to fight against himself to keep the mound from growing too large or exploding. If he put too little, it wouldn't be big enough to disturb the branches. All of this was very taxing, and Ezeru could tell he was straining himself. He pushed his whole arm underground, but it still didn't make it easier.

He was concentrating so hard on his bending he didn't notice the thief had moved until his foot brushed against Ezeru's leg. "Wait, do not move!" Ezeru said as loud as he could without shouting. It was too late.

The thief took another step back, and his foot met with nothing. The ground inclined sharply just behind Ezeru. Ezeru's feet were just barely on solid ground. The thief cried out as he went over the edge. He swung his arms frantically, clutching at branches, but only stripped off leaves. Before Ezeru could pull his arm out of the ground, the thief fell.

Ezeru heard his cries of pain, and could tell that even falling he was trying to be as quiet as possible. Ezeru knew this area. The thief had fallen into the almost vertical 50 foot incline of a ravine. The riverbank was almost directly met the incline at the bottom. If the thief fell too fast, he could carry into the water. And the rapids were…

Ezeru went over the side. He'd never used Earthbending to slide downhill before, and he nearly toppled off his feet when he hit the ground. He was stumbling and running down hill at the same time. Too fast, wild, out of control. He would be tumbling down in a second unless he…

_Focus and bring the image of what I need to do,_ Ezeru thought. He did and he concentrated his bending at his feet. His toes stopped dragging through the dirt and the dirt instead started guiding him forward instead of resisting him. His legs separated he eased into a sideway slide down the incline, one leg bent and the other straight out as if Ezeru were stretching. His arms spread out at his sides, keeping him balanced.

He leaned out of the way of the last tree on the incline and was sliding on empty ground. Ezeru was gaining the thief who was trying to stop his fall by digging in his heels, but it'd never work. The ground was slick and muddy from last night's rain. Ezeru willed himself faster. They were only feet away from the river. Just a little closer and…

The big guy grabbed Darlo by his hair.

"Yeeeow!!!" is what Darlo wanted to shout, but he didn't want to bring back the thugs to him, so he gritted his teeth and shouted into them. Darlo grabbed the big Earthbender's arm to stop him from ripping out all his hair as he slowed their descent. They came to a grinding halt just at the bottom of the gully. Darlo didn't realize the Chen Yi was a white water rapid through here until now. Just a few yards downstream, the water cascaded against rocks and only went faster and faster from there.

Darlo could swim pretty good, but if he tumbled into that he might've, no, would've been…

_Damn it. He just saved me. Again! When did I become a damsel in distress? What, does this make this guy my long haired hero? This day just keeps getting filled more and more suck_, Darlo thought bitterly.

There was enough space between the incline and the actual river for them to walk along it, but all the rocks hurt to walk on. The big man was still holding onto Darlo's hair. "You can let go of my hair now. Hey…are you listening?" He wrenched his hair free. The big man was staring upstream. "Hey! What are you-" Darlo saw it too.

Something was in the water. At first Darlo thought it was some driftwood, but as it came closer, he could see something was on it. Almost together Darlo and the Earthbender walked towards it.

It wasn't just some driftwood. Something was on it.

No, Darlo realized. Not something, some_one_.

Darlo and the Earthbender were running now. A small part of Darlo's mind cracked a joke about not being aware someone that big could run, but he knew there was nothing to joke about right now. The river was fast through this area, but it didn't turn into a white water, rapid for another four dozen yards from where this person was. If whoever this was wasn't dead already, they would be once they're pummeled into rocks a few hundred times.

Darlo's familiar speed kicked in and he ran ahead of the Earthbender, going far up the bank, went to the edge of the water, flung off his vest, dove in, and started swimming. The water was colder than it looked.

Darlo would have to…do what? Why was he doing this again? If Darlo couldn't get this person out of the water before they made it to the rapids, _he'd_ get dashed against -what was probably jagged- rocks too. So, for the third time today, Darlo questioned what the hell he was doing. This whole day wasn't like Darlo at all. First, he takes the dumbest course of action to take something from lawless thugs. Then, he's so out of shape he can't lose men, even if they were on ostrich horses those things are only as effective a catching tool as the rider, and Chu Nu was a terrible rider. Finally, he was risking his life. _Darlo_ was risking his life. Nothing about that sentence made sense for Darlo

This wasn't doing something where the only risk of death is if Darlo messed up. Whether it was a fight or getting involved with a dangerous person, Darlo never went in to a potentially fatal situation without an idea of how he was going to go about it. There's a clear marked difference between going head first into a fight someone was prepared for and getting caught up in one someone wasn't. And in the latter situation, if Darlo realized he was outmatched, he'd get out of dodge. It was all about Darlo's options and doing things right.

However, _this_ was completely different from either situation. Darlo could do everything right to save this person(who, mind you, might already be dead), and still end up dead. Swimming into the river's current was draining, he had to waste twice the energy since he had to swim hard enough to keep going forward. Darlo could feel his muscles burning and he hadn't even made it halfway to the person yet. He couldn't afford to look around for the Earthbender and see where he was in the water. If he bumped into him…

_Stop thinking, Darlo! Keep swimming! Faster! What's wrong with you? You're better than this! Stop whining like Akeno and get the corpse out of the water before you become one too! Your lungs are burning? The water tastes bad? Tough! Get moving! Get moving or you'll just prove why you should've just stayed back at home!_

Darlo could just hear the old man's voice in his ear, berating him. And the damned condescension in his voice he's fought off his whole life. He couldn't die right here. This was just another obstacle, and Darlo's spent his whole life getting over obstacles. And he'd do it Darlo style too.

He felt the adrenaline burst that had been missing since the _Discovery_. The burning muscles faded and he tore through the water like it wasn't even there. He suddenly was close enough to touch the floating piece of timber. The person was on the other side. He grabbed hold of a thick branch and saw the person's white hair. It wasn't grey. Even wet and dirty from the water, Darlo could tell this person's hair was as white as snow. The back of their head was against the hollow log, and Darlo didn't have a clue how they were clinging to it as most of their body was submerged. He pulled himself around to their face, thinking this was an extremely old person.

Darlo was wrong. And how.

When he came face to face with the person, Darlo was sure of two things: That she wasn't old, that she was a she, and that he wasn't sure if wanted to pull her off the log or just look at her gorgeous face for a little while.

He was also sure he just counted more than two-

"Hurry!" the Earthbender shouted. Darlo stole a glance to the riverbank. The guy was chest high in the water, holding onto a protruding rock just up the stream that Darlo was sure wasn't there before, and reached his hand out to Darlo.

The river curved hard and got a bit narrower there. If they stayed in the middle of the river, they'd only be a few yards away from the bank. The Earthbender was 50 yards down stream, just before the rapids. Darlo could already feel the river's flow picking up speed. He didn't have much time.

Darlo took one quick gape at the waterlogged(pun intended) beauty and tried to pry her away. He lifted her slightly and saw she was wearing a heavy coat, robe, or something and it was tangled in a short branch.

He reached around her and tried to undo the tangle, but it was taking too much time. Darlo opted for plan B. He took a deep breathe and plunged underwater.

The water smelled and tasted bad swimming over it; it tasted worse immersing into it. If he could breathe, he'd be gagging, but he didn't have time to be grossed out. He fumbled with the heavy robe or whatever, all the while wondering, What the hell was a girl like this doing wearing something like this just before summer anyway?

After what seemed like ages, he finally had the heavy coat off and the beauty was clear from the timber. Darlo looked around to orient himself, and to found the Earthbender.

Darlo draped the girl's arm over his shoulder and had to hold it there while he paddled and kicked awkwardly to make it to the Earthbender. The current was so much faster now. If he was swimming back on his own, he knew he'd make it, but the girl was dead weight, and was so freaking heavy. He didn't realize it when she was on the log, but she was bigger than he was, height and weight wise. And not by a little, she had to be almost six feet tall. Every couple kicks Darlo made he could feel the soles of his shoes bumping against her shins just below her knees. This was without a doubt the hardest thing Darlo ever did. It was taking all Darlo had just to keep them both alight in the water. Still, Darlo's head started going under and he sucked in more foul tasting water.

He was slowing down while the water wasn't…the Earthbender was at full extension, still clinging to that stone. His hand was so close.

But not close enough.

Darlo wasn't gonna…

_Giving up already?_ the old man, who wasn't actually there, mocked.

"No!" Darlo answered him. His feet brushed against something underwater, that felt hard and solid. Darlo tucked his legs to his chest, felt himself and the girl sink into the water, then lashed out with both legs.

He kicked off the underwater rock and it propelled him back up and out of the water and out to the Earthbender's hand! He was gonna…not make it! It was still too far.

The Earthbender's hand suddenly lurched forward and snagged Darlo's arm by the elbow! He started reeling Darlo and the girl in. Call it exhaustion induced hallucinations, heat of the moment, or a lapse in sanity, but Darlo could've sworn he just saw the big man's right arm _stretch_. But, whatever…Darlo didn't give two craps about anything at that exact moment.

_How you like that, old man? _"WOOOOEEE!!!" the cry came out of his mouth, but it wasn't half as loud as he wanted it to be.

Ezeru felt helpless the entire time, watching him swim out to the girl and bring her back. He desperately wished he knew how to swim, but, he could only put his faith in someone he knew only as a thief.

He thought the thief wouldn't make it near the end, and reached out as far as he could. Ezeru didn't know how to quite explain where he got the extra extension from, but he was grateful nonetheless.

He pulled them out of the water and seconds later heard the log crash against the rocks and shatter into pieces.

The thief was panting heavily, laying flat on his back. "That…could…have…been…me. Remind…me…never…to…do…that…again."

Ezeru didn't answer him. He knelt to the girl, and wiped her white hair our of her face and was startled by how cold her body was. She was wearing a sleeveless light gray shirt. Ezeru couldn't see any injuries on her at all. She looked far too pale. Ezeru noticed something on the center of her forehead.

A small diamond shaped stone. Ezeru had never seen anything like it.

"Is she still alive?" the thief asked weakly from his back, with concern in his voice.

Ezeru swallowed through a dry throat and slid his gasa off to his back. He knelt down and somewhat apprehensively pressed his head to her chest, listening for a heartbeat. At first it was nothing, and Ezeru could feel himself start to panic. But…then he felt it…

It was extremely faint, but she had a heartbeat, and she was breathing. But, Ezeru knew a heartbeat that weak, breathing that slow, and being so cold couldn't be good.

"Yes, she's alive, but she needs help," Ezeru said as he took off his tunic and draped it around her.

The thief slowly rose to his feet, his breathing already slowing. "From who though? The nearest hospital is over twenty miles away. Even if you could run all the way, you'd only get there in an hour, fourty-five minutes tops. I don't know how long she was in the water, but she might not survive all the way. If her breathing is that faint and heart is beating that slowly, she might already be dying. She needs a doctor. And now."

_A doctor?_ Just then Ezeru remembered something his mother told him the other day. As gently as he could, Ezeru picked the girl up, holding the bulk of her weight with his left arm and only using the right one for stability.

"All that could be done was done. There's no way you can carry her into town," the thief said, his voice grim as he collected his vest from off the riverbank.

Ezeru started half running, half walking down stream. "If my mother was right, I might not have to."

_**Ezeru's house…**_

Giala smiled at the old family friend. No, just saying he was a family friend disingenuous. He's done more for this family to merit more respect. It was such a joy to have him visit them for the first time since they moved from Ba Sing Se.

It wasn't even a thought Giala liked to entertain, but she didn't know what state her son would be in if not for Doctor Ling Giao Su. After the attack, her son's mental state was so fragile. Giala's was as well, but it wasn't as if someone had never raised a hand to harm her in her life. She was paralyzed for life, but she was a strong woman. She eventually adapted and accepted her new life being bound to a wheelchair.

The same couldn't be said of her son. He was deeply traumatized and scared by it. Any child his age would be. She couldn't walk anymore, but he lost more than just piece of mind and his innocence. First, came the nightmares. Then, he stopped smiling. Desperate, Giala and her sister, Wu Lin, did something unprecedented. They brought their child to a psychiatrist.

Dr. Ling was so willing to help. He took a single look at their little boy and knew that he needed his help. He was able to learn so much about what was going happening to her little son. Giala would've never known that her son was blaming himself for what happened without Dr. Ling. And that he potentially blamed someone else, but Dr. Ling was never able to figure out who it was. Though Giala felt she knew.

Dr. Ling only know that Giala was a widow, but they kept him in the dark about who her husband was. She didn't even tell him her son's name. Thankfully, Dr. Ling agreed to help him without even knowing his name.

He couldn't know who her son secretly blamed for everything. Though, perhaps she wasn't giving Dr. Ling enough credit. He was a very shrewd observer and analysist when in a leather chair, but he was a good storyteller and came off as such an airhead at times, it was easy to overlook that.

Wu Lin let out a heavy, belly laugh. "And then what happened?"

"Well, there I was, and this massive 300 pound maniac is loose in my office. He's screaming at the top of his lungs that he's angry and doesn't know why. And me? I'm hiding behind my desk, fearing for my life." He demonstrated with the chair he was sitting in now, which Giala couldn't resist laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of a man his age putting on like he was ten. "And I say to him, 'Uh…I think we're all done with your sessions. No charge, okay? So, you can put down my bookshelf now.'"

They all started to laugh again, when the front door burst open. And the laughing abruptly stopped. Wu Lin dropped her tea cup, which shattered, and pressed her hand over her chest, a look of abject shock on her face. Giala spun around in her chair inadvertently reaching for a weapon at her side that wasn't actually there anymore. Old habits.

Giala's son was standing in the doorway clutching a girl wrapped in his own shirt. He was drenched in sweat. "Please, she needs help!" he pleaded to Dr. Ling.

Dr. Ling's transition from a goofy, storyteller into unflappable, professional was instantaneous. He stood behind the chair for exactly two seconds, eyes suddenly alert. Then, without even questioning her son's sudden appearance, he rushed into action. He touched the girl's neck.

Un-phased by the girl's white hair he said, "By the spirits, her pulse is almost nonexistent and she's ice cold. Lay her down on the couch. Wu Lin, please go boil some water and get as many towels as you can. We need to keep her body temperature stable." Giala's son and Wu Lin did as Dr. Ling said. To the dark skinned boy who came in with her son, who Giala had barely noticed was there, he commanded, "You. Run to the store on South Zenkei and come back with bandages, gauze, towels, antiseptic, herbal medicines, ointments, anything you can carry and hurry back here." He reached into his pocket and tossed the boy a small pouch that jingled when he caught it. "Pay for whatever you need with that."

He looked confused. "But-"

"Now!" Dr. Ling barked.

In a sudden burst of speed, the boy turned and ran out the door. He was fast. Giala realized that Dr. Ling too one look at him and instantly knew that he was fast enough to run to the store a mile or so up the road and back in time to matter.

He opened the girl's eyes as he kept one hand on her wrist. "Pupils are dilated. Where did you find her?" He asked her son.

"We found her hooked to some driftwood in the Chen Yi River. The thie…the one I came in with swam in and rescued her. I have no idea how long she was adrift like that," her son replied. He was deeply concerned, and it was something of a relief to see him express himself so outwardly. But Giala knew she shouldn't be reveling in this situation.

Wu Lin returned with the towels and a large teapot of hot water. Dr. Ling carefully wet the towels, folded them, and placed them on the girl's forehead.

"It's a miracle she didn't drown, but for her to be this deathly cold, she could've been on that driftwood for hours. Maybe even since last night. It's another miracle she is still alive after that. She should've gone into shock. That river is notoriously cold at times. I'm going to check for bruising." He began to take her shirt off, and her son promptly averted his eyes and stepped away from the couch. Giala let her self smile a little at her son's show of demureness.

When she looked back at the girl, she noticed a small, clear stone on the center of the girl's forehead. Another was under her shirt, in the middle of her chest. It looked almost like ice.

"What do you make of those stones on her head and chest?"

Dr. Chin kept checking for broken bones and ever mindful of her pulse. "I can't say. I believe it's something to do with the chakras, but that's all I know."

Giala noticed something else, "She's got the body of an soldier…"

"Indeed," Dr. Ling responded, he noticed the inflection her voice and knew she was going to say something else.

"… and doesn't have a scratch on her."

Dr. Ling nodded. "Yes, I've noticed."

Wu Lin, who had been silent until now, a rarity for her, asked, "What does that mean?"

"It means she was most likely unconscious when she fell into the river. Anyone who falls in and doesn't want to be, would've swam out. If the timber struck her in the head while she was swimming, then there'd be a welt or bruise somewhere on her head, and I can find none." Dr. Ling's tone was solemn.

Her son finally spoke, he was intently staring at a wall. "How can an unconscious body fall into a river?"

There was a drawn out silence.

Giala finally answered. "They can't…"

"…they're dumped," Dr. Ling finished bitterly. "There's a good chance someone tried to kill her."

"But, you already said there's not a scratch on her."

"That's true, but there's more than one way. She could've been…" Dr. Ling's voice trailed off, he couldn't complete the thought.

Ezeru said suddenly, more of a realization than a suggestion. "…she was drugged or intoxicated."

Dr. Ling looked up at Giala's son, "Why would you say that?"

"Because I could smell it on her, in her hair and in her clothes. And it made me dizzy while I ran over here."

Giala gasped. "Goodness. It was still on her even after coming out of the water?"

Wu Lin huffed. "What? I don't get it, what does that mean anyway? Was she poisoned? Is my nephew poisoned?"

"Doubtful on both accounts. A poison this strong would've surely killed her. Even without the weakening trauma of being submerged in water and suffering from hypothermia inducing conditions," Dr. Ling's tone shifted from explanatory to gravely serious. "Whatever toxin or hallucinogen was used on her was strong enough to make someone dizzy off just residual fumes after so long in water, that would normally rinse it away. That also means that when _she_ was first exposed to that toxin it was far, far more potent. There's no telling the state of her mind right now, but it also suggests that someone wanted to make this woman suffer."

Ezeru asked his expression deeply saddened. "What does this all mean…for her?"

Dr. Ling sighed deeply, replaced the heated town with another, then stood up, and stretched his back. "I can only pretend to be the doctor my brother, Jung Su was going to be once, but I can say that she's in a coma. There's really no telling when she'll wake up. And," He looked at Giala's son. "there's a good chance someone out there, might want her dead. It might be too dangerous to move her from this house."

No one knew quite what to say, and another long silence was sure to follow. Until just then, the dark skinned boy Dr. Ling sent to the store returned. "I'm back with-BOOBS!"

Dr. Ling slid Giala's son's tunic back over the girl's body. Everyone present gave him the exact same angered look, except for maybe Wu Lin who probably wanted to laugh.

The boy pursed his lips together, and had an embarrassed look on his face. "I just said that out loud didn't I?"

_Next Chapter…_

_Chapter 12: The Lost and Forgotten_


	13. Chapter 12: The Lost and Forgotten

_Chapter 12: The Lost and Forgotten_

_**Giala's house…**_

"Hm…and she hasn't exhibited any signs of recovery? No stirring? No response to some sort of stimulus of any kind?" Dr. Ling asked.

"N-none at all," Giala answered.

He finished doing his check of the unconscious girl's vital signs. "My train leaves tonight, I'm afraid. Thanks to this…ah, turn of events I extended my stay longer than what I told my secretary. She's starting to worry," he said with a wry smile.

Giala's son, who insisted on not facing into the room while Dr. Ling was performing his check up- even though he hadn't removed any of the girl's clothes- said, "I apologize if you've suffered any inconvenience, Dr. Ling."

Dr. Ling chuckled softly. "You've nothing to apologize for, my boy. Saving a life is well worth it. Though, I must admit, there really isn't much I've actually done."

Giala shook her head. "Nonsense. She'd have surely died if not for you."

He shrugged a shoulder. "I must be perfectly honest, Ms. Giala, but she didn't have any broken bones or scratches to speak of for me to wrap or heal. Aside from being slightly cold and soaking wet, if you hadn't burst in carrying her saying she needed my help, I'd simply assume she was asleep. I've consulted every medical journal I could find and I can't come up with explanation for why she hasn't regained consciousness. She's in a coma that I can't quantify. All I was able to deduce was that she apparently had it out and was exposed to some…toxin, but even that's just speculation. Yet, I can't say that in confidence anymore since there's no injuries."

Giala frowned. "What about my son? He said he felt dizzy while carrying her."

Dr. Ling rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I didn't say anything at the time, but I did notice his cheek was slightly swollen and red. If I had to guess, I'd say he was hit."

Giala spun in her wheelchair to him, not angry, but shocked. "Is that true? Did someone hit you?"

Giala's son never lied and when asked he told the truth without hesitation. "Yes. I did not want you to worry and I felt getting her help was more important."

"But, why would someone-"

Dr. Ling forcefully cleared his throat. "But, ah, back to the point, someone did hit him. He wasn't knocked out, but that dizziness could've been associated with the blow the face. All that exertion from the rescue effort, could've easily caused the lightheaded feeling. Thankfully, he was no worse for wear."

Wu Lin, who was sipping on tea, grunted and murmured, "This is getting boring. Where is that Darlo kid anyway? He still owes a rematch at Kamikaze. I'm gonna beat him this time."

Dr. Ling's eyebrows rose. "Darlo?"

"That's the name of my son's friend who pulled the girl out of the river."

"He is _not_ my friend," her son said rather gruffly, still staring out into the hall. His face was only shown to them in profile.

Giala knew her son's ways. He usually communicated his emotions through his eyes. It could get tricky at times, especially when he wore his gasa. But, when he was worked up, you could hear the emotion in his voice. Giala couldn't place it, but something about Darlo got a strange response of her son.

It was something else entirely, however, when the subject of the girl came up.

"Is there anything you feel she needs, doctor?" He said, turning his head ever so slightly to look into the room over his shoulder. "Anything I can do?"

"Uh…" Dr. Ling shared a glance with Giala and Wu Lin. "No. Nothing right now, from what I can tell. Just let her rest. You wouldn't happen to know who she is or where she came from."

Giala's son didn't respond, but she could see his eyes shift to the floorboards.

Dr. Ling smiled dryly. "Yeah, I didn't figure so. But honestly, I'm positively dying to know myself. Just who is this girl?"

_**Gaoling…**_

_**The Bei Fong Estate…**_

The large double doors opened, revealing a woman who appeared much older than she was. Olan hadn't seen Granny Poppy since Grandfather Lao's funeral. How she'd managed to hold together losing her husband and only daughter in a span of just three years always endeared him to his grandmother's resolve. By inheritance, Olan was the rightful heir and thus the head of the Bei Fong family, it was Poppy Bei Fong who ran everything while he was fulfilling his…mission.

Olan had told her he wouldn't come back until he had brought the his mother's killer to justice and avenged his mother's death. She didn't say a single word to Olan. She just embraced him, relieved to see he's still in one piece. And that he'd finally finished his task. That he could finally come home and stop his hunt. But, Olan couldn't share the relief, though he did hug her back. He just couldn't dredge up the feelings or even fake them.

After a tender silence, Granny Poppy said, "I'm so glad you're home. It's finally over."

"Yeah, it's over." Olan said it, but it felt almost like lying.

She seprated from him, but she still held on to his shoulder. She nodded to Hanori. "Thank you for everything, Hanori. Thank you for helping Olan through all of this"

Hanori bowed. "You're too kind, Master Poppy. It was and still honor."

Granny Poppy smiled, tears welling in her eyes. "If Toph were still alive, she'd be very proud of you. Of both of you."

It had been almost five years since Olan had walked through these halls. Five long years. Nothing had been changed. All the furnishing was the same and just as pristine as he'd last seen it. He walked into his room and it was just as he left it. Everything dusted, cleaned. Only difference was his old poster of The Red Striker was now framed.

The corner's of Olan's mouth tilted in a small smile as he reached out and touched the poster. He still remembered when his mother bought it for him. He remembered joking about how did she know it was even of D, and how she said she didn't, but the guy in the stand told her it was. He never was much of a football fan, but he kept it anyway just because his mother was D's biggest fan.

Olan let the memory linger for a bit, then sighed and left the room. His room was just down the hall from his mother's. The door had been replaced by a veil.

Olan took a deep breathe, parted the veil, and stepped inside.

The only room in the house that had been changed was this one. It was now a shrine. Where his mother's bed once stood was now a small stepped mound of smooth cut stone. A fine, silk fabric covered the top of the mound. It was adorned with real gold that glinted softly even in the darkened room.

On top of the fabric sat a simple picture of his mother, and her name written in calligraphy next to her. Smiling proudly, looking just as Olan had last seen her. Most shrines have some writing, or some symbol of the deceased, but not this one. All that was present was a simple hanging incense holder. Olan carefully lit it, then knelt in front of the mound. He bowed. He held it longer than is customary, but he didn't particularly care.

He straightened up. "Well, mother, I'm here. I did it. I finally did it. Everything went as planned. He reacted exactly like I predicted and in the end, no one but me was in any danger. I wish I didn't need to reach out to those two like I had. I wish there was another way, but…what does it matter, right? I got him." Olan felt his head sink. "I got him. I should be happy. I stopped the Demon Killer. I should feel relieved. But…I don't. And don't know why."

He shook his head. "No, I do know why. It's because there's no body. I still don't have a face to put to your killer. I feel cheated because he isn't rotting in a jail cell. I never wanted to kill him. It's the easy way out. And he didn't deserve to be let off easy But, more than anything, I…never got closure. And I don't know if he was working alone or not."

Olan let out a slow breathe. "I can only blame myself. I let my emotions get the better of my judgment and I wasn't thinking clearly. I don't even fully remember everything that happened. It was raining and I couldn't really see. And then just like that, he was gone. Maybe that's why I don't feel any different now. It didn't end the way I thought it would. And maybe that's why I just can't accept it. I just can't accept that it's really over. Part of me thinks he's still out there. That he's alive and I still need to catch him."

"But, there's no logical way that's possible. After all this time, there's no doubt he'd come after me. But, still. I wish I could know for sure, mother. I really do. But, until I find some evidence that the bastard who killed you is dead. He's still officially just missing.

"I know Taciturn is glad I at least stopped him, but D's a different story. And-" Olan stopped then slapped his forehead. "Wow, look at me. I got so caught up, I didn't explain anything, did I? You can't possibly know how I did it, could you? I remember how you'd tell me to slow down and stop assuming people know what I'm talking about first. I guess, I still need to work on my social skills," Olan said with a weak laugh.

"I guess I should start from the beginning. And, well, mom, it's kind of a long story…"

_I was tore up when you died, mother. I didn't know what to do. I was so hurt and confused. And I didn't think I would ever stop hurting. And the entire time I kept asking, "Why? Why did she have to die? Why would anyone do this to my mother? Why would _anyone_ do this to _anyone_?" _

_No one would answer me. _

_No one _could_ answer me._

_That's when I heard your voice, like you were standing right with me. It was something you once told me when I couldn't figure out why some insects have six legs and others have eight or more: "You're smart, son. If there's something you don't know, some question you need answered. Face it head on. Grab life by the bull-spider horns and get those answers. Then you're thinking like an Earthbender!" _

_Though I never did learn why some bugs have more legs than others. I'd abide by those words forever._

_There was only one way to figure out why you died: Hunt the bastard who did it down, and find out myself. _

_And more than that, I'd do everything I could to make sure anyone who took the life of another was made accountable for their actions. I would catch my mother's killer, and then everyone else who maliciously took the life of someone else._

_But first, I needed to prepare. _

_I couldn't jump headlong into the hunt. That'd be suicide, so, I had to get prepared. I enrolled in Ba Sing Se University, and took courses in biology, chemistry, psychology, statistics and probability, medicine and health, physics, engineering, philosophical debating, and even a course in theater. _

_I figured that the more subjects I had experience in, the better foundation I could build. You always said that without a strong foundation, a house is nothing more than stones waiting to be knocked over. I needed to be well-rounded in all fields so I could be able to tackle any issue that might come up._

_College was interesting to say the least. I met all kinds of people, but I never could fit in with anyone. No one talked to me and when they did, it was usually something mean or someone asking for help understanding the course material. I wasn't there to socialize, true, but all the same, I guess I did wish at least someone would've been nice to me, that I would've been treated like an equal even though I was the youngest person in the school. But, even then I knew that wasn't important in the long run. What was important was that I learned as much as I can to find your killer._

_But, it still wasn't enough. I graduated and I still didn't feel like I could find him. I needed experience solving crimes, and I was reminded of you saying the best way to learn is by doing. And it was one of the two toughest decisions I had to make. After college I earned my degree, I wanted to start hunting the killer down immediately, but I had to compose myself and realize that, again, this wasn't some game. I was hunting a silent killer that no one, at the time, new existed; my life would be on the line. I needed to have experience not just reading about killers in newspapers or novels, but catching them._

_All murders are reprehensible, but there is still a difference between a petty fight ending in death and categorical assassination. I needed to work my way up the hierarchy. I had to earn my way to catching your killer first. I needed to be completely sure I could catch lesser than him before I started, otherwise, how could I ever hope to beat him? So, I vowed I couldn't catch him until I could first catch 30 lesser killers, each one more deadly than the next. I took on the 10 biggest criminals on the Earth Kingdom at the time, as well as 20 other ongoing investigations. Hanori didn't like the choice, but I gave myself a deadline as well. If I couldn't do it in a year, I couldn't tackle the biggest of them all. _

_Not to brag, but I did it in six months._

_And the experience was invaluable. My critical thinking skills were put to the test beyond any exam or debate. I could process clues, make deductions about motive. Judge the character of any person I met. I truly felt, no, I _knew_ I could stop that bastard._

_But, what I feared most to happen during this period, actually happened. While I was getting better, learning, training to stop him, so was he. He was far and away better than the others. No clues, no evidence, no witnesses. People continued to die as I struggled to make headway. All I was learning was about the victims. At first, I thought the victims were innocent, just like you. But the more I dug, the more I realized they all had underworld connections. All of them._

_I do regret not using that knowledge to my advantage sooner. But, after three years of actively pursuing him, I knew I had to take a different approach. The victim list was piling up. He went from a nameless, unknown murder into being given the moniker "Demon Killer". I was beginning to get desperate and my hope was fading away. I tried every trick I learned, but it wasn't getting me anywhere. _

_But then, I caught a break of inspiration when I added the newest specimen to my collection: the crab scorpion_

_It was easily the most amazing specimen I've ever come across. It actually _feds_ on blue fanged spider snakes. The blue fang is bigger, contains not one, but two far more deadly venoms, and by all rights is the superior predator. Yet, the crab scorpion is still its natural predator._

_ It does it by taking on the appearance of the blue fang's favorite food, pineapple beetle. The crab scorpion can change its color, and its stringer is retractable. It retracts the stringer and changes its color to match the beetle when it detects the presence of a blue fang. It changes and simply waits. The blue fang is an aggressive hunter and eventually it comes to feed. Just when it looks like the blue fang is about to strike, the crab scorpion strikes instead. The blue fang produces the most potent toxins in the world, but it's just as susceptible to other lesser ones. And with one well aimed strike, the blue fang falls. And that's when I knew._

_You see, mother, this entire time, I've been chasing the killer, when in truth, what I needed to do was bring him to me, but not on his terms. I had to create the ideal prey for him to pursue. And already I knew this killer was going after criminals. I just needed to create a persona of the exact kind of criminal he'd already killed. I'd long since had created a profile of victims. Originally I had thought maybe I could figure out who would be most likely to be killed next and warn them, but I reasoned there'd be no way a bunch of criminals would want to listen to a word I, a government investigator, said._

_Well, okay, Hanori reasoned that. _

_It was just the way to finally bring him down. But, the problem was evident._

_If I wanted to create a criminal real enough to draw him in, it meant I may have to actually commit crimes myself. Or get involved with one of the many anarchist cells. And I couldn't do that as myself. From the beginning I conducted my investigations in disguise, but that was only useful because I never had to actually _do_ anything. I could just stand around and watch. Hanori always physically collected evidence for me. This would be different. I'd have to be more active while incognito. If I messed up and revealed I was just a teenager, not only did that put me at risk of being ripped apart by lawless thugs, but that could forever tarnish the Bei Fong family name. Your name. And I just couldn't take that chance. I couldn't let Hanori do it for me either. She hates the criminal element more than I do, and she's not much of an actor._

_It was obvious to me. I needed to use an already established persona. I had to use someone who was known in the public and wouldn't take much a stretch of the imagination to transform into someone who sought to bring the anarchy and discourse that killer apparently was trying to remove. I only needed to look at Ba Sing Se Stadium, just in the distance from my room, to figure out the perfect candidate. And what was best was he'd already had the perceivable motivation to turn to the dark path. And hadn't been seen in years._

_D, the Red Striker was perfect._

_I know you liked him and felt what happened that day wasn't his fault, but he lost everything he had in that game. The fans, the fame, and his honor. But, he still was anonymous. And we had his last mask. All that was left was to create a plan and set it into motion. I just needed the means._

_ I couldn't lay the bait as Olan Bei Fong, but I could pretend to be D. It was so long ago, I'm sure almost no one would perfectly remember what D sounded like. I could buy the equipment to project my voice, but I lacked the ability to set everything up. I needed the help. And Hanori would shoot the plan down with no hesitation. It went against everything she stood for. She'd never forgive me if she knew, but I snuck out one night. And I went to the Lower Ring, grand central for every thug and illegal activity in the Earth Kingdom._

_It went against everything I stood for too, but I had to be willing to sacrifice even my own integrity to put a stop to the murders. In yet another stroke of luck, I found the person I was looking for on my first day. But, to say the least, I never expected the person to be a woman. _

_She got into a brief fight, and managed to dispatch the four men who attacked her without making a sound while doing it. She also didn't kill any of them. Men die all the time, and one day I hope to clean that area of Ba Sing Se up, but showing mercy wasn't the way of a criminal. _

_In spite of that, I wasn't blind to the outside chance that she herself was the killer I was seeking, so I made sure to test her with a question. The details of that aren't important, but I was satisfied with the answer enough._

_So much so in fact, I doubt she was even a criminal._

_She wore a cloth mask over her lower face, which did give her the slight appearance of a bandit. Also, the strange circular blade she carried with her was of interest as to who she was. Nonetheless, she fulfilled every requirement I needed. And it worked further to my advantage, that she had a voiced interest in the Demon Killer's actions and wanted to see him stopped. She further proved to me that she could move silently, by tailing me all the way home. Her ability to move so silently gave me the idea to codename her: Taciturn._

_From there, the plan was set into motion. I arranged for her to set up a sonicus sound system on top of a building and for her to…ah…borrow the large promotional tarp the building kept in storage. Then, I snuck up there one early morning dressed as D, and made my announcement. I knew about D's flair for the dramatic, so I created a buzz. I wanted people to talk, I wanted as many people to take notice as possible when I made D's claim so I set a date. However it was a date far enough ahead that some people might forget about it and neglect to add a greater security detail, yet still have a big enough audience. So, I set it for the maiden flight of the new airship _Discovery_._

_You always said that in a fight, you kept your options open and always took an opportunity when it presented itself. That was my reasoning in getting a proxy to play D for me. I had every intention to show up that day on my own, but when I was in Bumi and I drove by that empty lot and saw that pick up football game, I knew I could make use of the man with the strangest hairstyle I'd ever seen. I'm sure Hanori still doesn't know why, but I had her follow him and leave him a note, that I made her swear not to read. The note was just setting up a meeting with me in Ba Sing Se._

_He showed up and I spoke with him while in my disguise. I didn't waste time; I simply laid out my plan and wish that he could assist me. I assured him he'd be in now danger and he'd be well compensated, but he surprised me when he said he didn't care about the money or the danger. Only about what status he could gain from this. I still remember what he said next. It completely floored me:_

_He laughed in my face and said, "Compensation? What, you mean money? Like I give a damn about some gold pieces. You're asking a total stranger to go up against the Demon Killer? That's rich. Even if he's really a human like you say, why would I help you take him on? And even more, what reason would I have to become D again? What in the world is in it for me?"_

_Become D again? I thought. _

_Then facts came to me at once about D._

_Fact one: D was short statured with thick, well muscled legs and always wore long sleeved shirts under his team uniform and gloves. His skin was never shown along with his face. And he wore a cloth mask beneath his outer mask, so his hair was never shown either. If D actually had a full head hair, no one would know._

_Fact two: D took the league minimum to sign a contract with the then nameless South Ba Sing Se Titans. He was quoted in a newspaper as saying he "didn't give a damn about the gold pieces"._

_Fact three: He was an excellent football player with remarkable speed and agility._

_Fact four: It was widely believed that because of his short stature, D was in fact very young at the time._

_Fact five: All the previous facts could be said about the man standing before me._

_I didn't think it was possible at first, but I always trust the facts. I trust the evidence. I asked him straight out, was he D? The real D, the Red Striker?_

_His eyes widened as he realized what he just said. He looked like he wanted to run. I barely managed to talk him into staying. Without a doubt, this person was the real, true D._

_Can you imagine that, mother? D! I actually met D! If only you could've met him you…you…_

_Well, anyway, I knew what appealed to him and I agreed that if he helped me bring the killer down, I'd let the world believe it was D that did it and vouch on his behalf. The Demon Killer was a public menace that was causing the whole world to take notice in a world fearful without the Avatar to protect the balance and provide order. If someone were to face the mass murder down and defeat him, he'd be revered for all time._

_His eyes lit up when I said that. He even turned a standing backflip in excitement, that scared me a little, as I recall. Needless to say he agreed, and all I had to promise was that we didn't call each other by name. I called him D and he called me Specs. Probably short for spectacles, I believe._

_I had all the moves mapped out, everything was ready. All that was left was for me to prepare for my final confrontation with your killer, mother. I thought nothing could ruin it, but then the plan changed._

_The maiden voyage of the airship Discovery ended in catastrophe. And everyone blamed D. Hundreds died and now D was a target far too soon._

_I had originally planned to make D a target gradually. I'd use Taciturn's loose connections to the underground to spread rumor's of D's motives. They would no doubt find the killer's ears. I was positive he used those same connections himself. His interest would pique as the rumor's spread. It would not only split the killer's attention, but it could also give the chance to spread false leads, and stop him from killing for a while, since he never killed more than one target at a time. I could slow down the bloodshed and further ensnare the Demon Killer._

_I know you wouldn't like it, but that was just the lie to told Taciturn and D when I related my plan to them. The real true reason was I needed more time to properly synthesize the means to stop him in his tracks without killing him. I couldn't let Hanori do it for me. _

_It had to be me! _

_But no one had ever done anything like what that before. It was trial and error, and I hated hurting my precious blue fang over and over again, but it was necessary._

_But after the _Discovery_ explosion, I was certain that after being completely implicated D would not only be a prime target of the Earth Kingdom, but the killer might seek to quickly snuff D out. I didn't have as much time to perfect the serum as I wanted. At any moment D could be hunted down and killed._

_So, I put my plan into motion before I was finished. I had D lay down the clues as to his true identity. Make a few more public appearances. While at the same time, moving from city to city to keep his pursuer busy. I didn't doubt for a second D wasn't being hunted. The underworld was whispering about it all the while according to Taciturn._

_It was a very grueling, stressful six months, but I finished and sent out word to D to set the last clue at Okano District, in Bumi, find a good place to hide, then leave the rest to me. I let Taciturn know that she could fall back if she felt the need, but otherwise she wasn't needed at the moment either. I didn't want any of them involved. If I failed, only I should pay the price. Hanori came despite my objections, but she's been with me from the very beginning. She knew what was at stake as well._

_I went to Bumi and faced him down, with a full moon looming. All was just as planned. The only thing I couldn't account for was the weather. A hard rain started to fall. But, it worked out for the best. I could hardly see, but without a doubt neither could he. He fell for a carefully placed replica of D. He struck the dummy down and he sprung the trap on himself. So many intense emotions flooded through me at that moment. He was completely at my mercy. The son of a bitch was mine!_

_I must have gotten a dose on me as well. Because the next thing I could remember clearly was Hanori was shaking my by the shoulders and I was standing over cliff. _

_I vaguely could remember shouting. I could remember someone stalking after someone else crawling on the ground, but…damn it all, I don't know if that was even me. It was like I went to a play and fell asleep, and had a dream about going to see the same play. And afterwards I couldn't remember if anything that happened to me was real or not._

_I did know one thing for certain_

_I knew was that he'd gone over that cliff. _

_Maybe he jumped off rather than be captured. (Suicide upon capture isn't uncommon for assassins.) Or maybe he was so disoriented he feel off because he didn't see the ledge. _

_And then there's the option I don't like to think about…_

_Maybe I pushed him._

_I may never know and…_

_That's the worst part! _

_I predicted everything about how that night would happen and I was right!_

_Why couldn't I predict the end? I saw me bringing that bastard in covered in chains. I saw him standing trial. I saw me presenting my compiled evidence. I saw the bastard being screamed at by the victims' families. And I saw him being sentenced to life in prison, or even being given the death penalty._

_But, this? _

_It just isn't fair, mother._

_It's not fair! I wanted him! I had him!_

_How could I not learn the truth? How could I squander the opportunity to learn why?_

_If nothing else, I had to know, mother…mom! You deserved better than that! You helped saved the world! You trained the Avatar! You could at least know why it happened! _

_You were supposed to die an old woman. Not be stabbed through the heart in your bed at just 35 years old. Not and leave your 12 year old son alone!_

_DAMN HIM! _

_Even in the end…he…_still_ took everything away from me!_

_I hate him so much…and I don't know if he knew…if he knew the pain he caused me…_

_But I just…_

_I…_

_I…_

Olan didn't realize that he'd been shouting.

He didn't really realize anything until Hanori rushed in and found him lying across the shrine, just in front of her mentor's portrait.

Olan didn't cry at his mother's funeral.

He felt so angry then, but now…he was letting those held back tears flow. Holding in emotion isn't natural, Olan knew. So, he didn't try to stop himself, just to appear strong in front of Hanori.

But then…

Perhaps this was as strong as Olan's been in the last five years.

_**On the road to Bumi…**_

Baku groaned from the backseat of the wagon. "Man, are we there yet? These damn seats hurt my butt."

Everyone groaned or grumbled a response, except Vivi who giggled.

The last seven months or so have been good to Mitsuro. He found a better place to live, didn't have to worry about being with an idiot girlfriend who embarrassed him just be being seen, and to top it off the organization was experiencing a rapid outgrowth of activity. The destruction of the _Discovery_ was only the precursor for what they did next.

First, Mitsuro and Lila went the west coast and sabotaged a cargo ship. Now thousands of gold pieces worth of precious Water Tribe cargo was at the bottom of the ocean.

Next, Baku and Mitsuro went to Gwanju and stole the designs of a new weapon that Jung Su believed could usher in a new age that would make the everyday man as lethal as any bender. Then made sure the building it was kept in burned to ashes.

After that, Mitsuro stayed at base while Lila, Vivi, Baku, and Po kidnapped some scientist. Mitsuro didn't like being left out for once, but it gave him time to further tinker with a new arrow Jung Su developed. It took the concept of the curving arrow and upgraded it. The arrow now could take a sharper curve. And the newly designed groves made it possible to curve _twice_. At first Mitsuro wasn't too fond of that. His father came up with the original idea, but never got to use it. It was his father's only other legacy besides Mitsuro himself and the bow he passed down and no one should tamper with it.

But Mitsuro wasn't about to spit in the face of innovation either.

Besides, Mitsuro had wondered what more could be done with the curving arrow anyway. Jung Su simply did Mitsuro's work for him.

He'd learned much about what the organization was trying to do, and he loved the idea.

Erasing the World Reborn Act from existence? Bringing everything back the way it should be. Yes, that was a fine goal indeed. It was precisely what Mitsuro wanted. Something that happened recently had Jung Su excited. Mitsuro didn't know what, but he overheard Jung Su talking with the Headmaster about "Our true enemy has been crippled! We can finally stop hiding in the shadows! It is time to expand, headmaster! And it is time to crush our foes beneath our heels!"

In fact there were a number of things Mitsuro still didn't know. Like: Who is this "True Enemy"? Why hadn't Mitsuro met the Headmaster yet? Did "expanding" have anything to do with the new members Jung Su was recruiting? How exactly did Baku make objects explode just by touching them? Or what is it about Lila's sword that allows her to slice through objects from a distance? And precisely why Vivi is the way she is? But, all would be revealed in due time.

For their next mission, every top member was present and packed into the cramped wagon. Jung Su said it wouldn't be on as grand a scale as the _Discovery_, but it should make just as large an impact.

Mitsuro hoped it would be worth the price of riding next to Po, who Mitsuro realized had a very repugnant body odor.

The ride was long, and it was hard fighting off the urge to jam an arrow into his big rib cage.

"We're only halfway there. Stop complaining, Baku," Jung Su said, agitated.

It was Mitsuro's turn to groan now.

_**Bumi, Okano District…**_

"So, what's that mean? You haven't found him, yet?" Darlo said into the receiver, impatiently drumming his fingers on the housing box.

Specs let out a sigh. Which was weird, as he'd never sighed before. "I'm afraid not, D. Just hang tight for a bit longer. If we don't turn up anything soon, I'll just have to assume there is no body to be found."

Darlo's eyes widened. "What? Don't tell me that! No body to be found? Look, bodies don't just up and vanish, Specs. You know that. It's out there, you just aren't looking in the right area. You've got to find it. I can't keep looking over my shoulder! I trusted you to handle this and-"

Specs sounded tired and exasperated. "D, listen to me. You are in no danger. I'm sure of it. If you were, you wouldn't be alive right now and neither would I. Finding the body is just a formality for the police's sake. They won't make a public statement until they can confirm it beyond a doubt. But, you can already consider this case over."

"Yeah? Well, if it's over, then why am I still in Bumi, huh? Look, I'm done waiting around on you just to keep getting these little updates. I'm still in, but next time you call, it'd better be telling me I can go back to Ba Sing Se for my ceremony. If not, save it for Tactical."

"Taciturn," Specs corrected.

"Whatever, Specs." And Darlo hung up on him. He let his forehead hit the side of the booth.

What the heck is going on? Is Specs losing it? He didn't sound all that sure of himself. And if Darlo didn't know any better, he'd think Specs just got done crying or something. But, there's nothing Darlo can do about that. Just gotta trust him not to let him down. He hadn't before.

Oh well, may as well head back to the Ezeru's house.

_**Just outside Ezeru's house…**_

Darlo was getting tired of constantly questioning himself, but why was he constantly coming back here? The big guy didn't seem to like Darlo too much. He never spoke to Darlo at all. Never looked at him, except to stare daggers into Darlo. Though that might just be the way this guy is. He seemed to stare daggers and not talk to everything. Darlo had to ask him three just to get his name. And even then it was weird.

"Call me Ezeru."

Honestly, who talks like that? He couldn't just go, "I'm Ezeru"? And what kind of name is Ezeru anyway? Does it mean something? Darlo means "one who is fearless, daring" in the language Darlo's ancestors spoke. But, Ezeru didn't even roll off the tongue that well.

Oh well, he was here now, who cares about Ezeru anyway? Darlo just wanted to see that hotty again. Maybe he could walk in when she was…exposed. Yeah. That was a pretty sight, alright.

He reached up to knock on the door when it swung open on him. The old lady Darlo whooped in Kamikaze was there and so was the doctor. He looked like he was leaving.

"Oh, well look who's here?"

A smirk drew across Darlo's face. "Who? The guy who whooped your wrinkled butt?"

She shook a fist at him. "You watch your mouth, ya brat! You ain't slick. I've finally figured out how to play that game. I'm twice as good now! You won't win again."

Darlo nodded, sticking out his lower lip. "Oh, really?" He turned to the doctor, who was watching with bemusement. "You hear that? She learned how to play the game and is twice as good."

"Yeah, I guess I did," the doctor said with a smile.

His smirk grew wider. "Guess this means now when I beat her, she can feel twice as bad."

Granny started rambling off some gibberish about whipper-snappers or something and stalked off into the house. The doctor shook his head and stepped on by, past Darlo. "Well, I'm off. I'll still be in town until 8 in the evening. If anything happens, call me at the hotel, if not, I won't be back at Ba Sing Se for another day or so. Please keep me posted on her condition, alright?" He waved goodbye as he, climbed into his wagon and started the engine.

"Will do, I'll see you later, Dr. Ling," Ezeru's mother called out as she rolled into the doorway. As it was she was blocking Darlo from entering. "Well, hello, Darlo. What brings you here?"

Something was in her tone that Darlo didn't quite like the sound off. "Hey, ma'am. Uh…is Ezeru in?"

She frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Uh…Ezeru."

She shook her head. "I don't know who Ezeru is."

"What?" Was she messing with him? Was it about what he said to her sister? No, that couldn't be it; they jawed back and forth the whole time he was there before. Darlo didn't like being messed with, if she didn't want him inside, just say so and he'd go. But messing with him? No, Darlo wasn't having that. Fine, he'd play along for a bit. "Uh…your son. Ezeru."

Her expression changed, and Darlo got the idea she wasn't messing with him. "My son's name isn't Ezeru."

"It's not? That's sure what he told me it was."

"He what?" She wheeled around and called out, "_Rexsten_! Come here now!"

_Rexsten_?

The footsteps could be heard from a mile away. It was like a giant was clomp-clomping through the house. Though in truth one was. And in just a few seconds after she called, he appeared behind her.

"Yes, mother?"

"Rexsten," his mother said with a firm voice. "Why did you say your name was Ezeru?"

His statue like gaze played over Darlo, then back to his mom. "I did not say that."  
Darlo scoffed. "What are you talking about? You told me the other day that your name was Ezeru. Don't lie about it"

His mother wheeled around back to Darlo, now she was angry at Darlo. "No, my son doesn't lie."

Was she being serious? She sure as hell looked like it, but that line just didn't make sense to Darlo. He doesn't lie? Is she for real? How could any parent be _that_ gullible? "Look, I _do_ lie sometimes. But this isn't one of those times. He said his name was Ezeru, whether you want to believe me or not. Why would I even think to make a name like that up?"

For the first time since nearly a month ago, Ezeru…or Rexsten…or whatever his name is spoke to Darlo. "I did not say my name was Ezeru." He turned away slightly. "I only said to call me Ezeru. That is not the same thing."

His mother turned and wheeled up to him. "Son, I thought we were past this," she said, her voice very soft and almost soothing. She reached out and held his hand in both of hers. It completely swallowed them up.

The big Earthbender turned mute again.

"You can't stay ashamed of your own name, son. It's as much a part of you as your eyes or your nose or any other part of your body You've got to accept that."

He did something that Darlo would've figured as a grimace, but he couldn't really tell. His mouth didn't move, only his eyebrows.

Darlo didn't have a damn clue what was going on, but he did know that he was feeling increasingly more uncomfortable.

Darlo whisked a strand of his hair out of his face, that wasn't actually in his face, and coughed. "Uh…yeah. You know what, I think I'll just-"

Wu Lin's voice broke in. She was doing a kind of shouted whisper. "Everyone, hurry! The girl! She just moved!"

Eze…ah...Rexsten was the first to move. And he was walking fast. His footsteps could be felt through the floorboards.

"She's what?" Darlo asked, dumbfounded.

"Just hurry up, I think she's waking!"

Rexeru…Ezten…the Earthbender's mother was close in pursuit, leaving Darlo all by himself. He didn't like being left out, so he followed them and shut the door behind him.

_**Rexsten's room…**_

Rexsten volunteered his room to be where the girl would be laid until she recovered. He just couldn't bare the thought of leaving her on the couch. He could give up his room, for as long as it took.

He didn't know how long she'd be in this coma. Neither did Dr. Ling. He said it could be a couple of days, weeks, months, or even years. But, until she ever woke up, they'd have to take care of her. That meant feeding her and doing like Dr. Ling said and making sure she didn't lay in the exact same spot of his bed. She'd have to be moved periodically to different areas.

Rexsten choose to do all of it. Only things he didn't do were things that involved undressing her. He left that to his mother and aunt. He insisted on everything else, though.

This was something he simply _needed_ to do. And he would do it for as long as he had to. Which meant he'd be sleeping on the couch that wasn't long enough for him to sleep lying down, so he mostly slept in a sitting position.

And like her using his bed, he'd sleep there for as long as she was here. He didn't mind any damage to his room that might come at night. And whenever those…_fits_…happened, he sat by the side of the bed until they stopped.

Up until now, those fits only happened randomly at night. So, hearing word of her moving during the day time…it was the first real break through. Rexsten only wished that they didn't lie to Dr. Ling about it the truth, about what happened on those nights. But, his aunt and mother decided that what happened was best kept between just the three of them. If Dr. Ling knew, they weren't sure how he's react.

But, none of that mattered right now.

Rexsten was first through the door. She was still under the white sheets, and her lips were quivering, soft whimpers escaping from them.

"Is she having another fit?" Giala asked Wu Lin, who pressed her hand to her forehead, checking her temperature.

"No, this time it's different. It's not as…"She gave a sidelong glance at Darlo. "…active."

"I'm going to call Dr. Ling back," Giala said as she wheeled out the door and back up the hall.

The whimpers slowly grew louder and faster. Her breathing became ragged.

"Fits? What's a fit?" Darlo asked, not mimicking everyone else and speaking in a whisper.

Wu Lin shushed him. But, not before the girl's head jerked to one side, away from the door, from the source of the sound. When she was having these fits, any noise caused her to recoil in pain.

Now various parts of her body began to move at random. Her toes wiggled. Her arm shook. Her legs trembled. And her breathing became pants.

"What's happening? Should I…get her some water or-" Darlo began, whispering this time.

"No water!" Wu Lin snapped. "Just be quiet."

Her lips started working in a more controlled manner and the whimpers changed, forming words. But it was so fast, no one could understand them.

"Oh man, this is freaky." Darlo murmured.

Suddenly, her back arched and rose off the bend as she let out a sudden gasp. She held that position for what seemed like an eternity before she slumped back onto the bed. And her breathing slowed to normal.

Everyone jumped back. Except Rexsten, he hadn't moved. He wouldn't take his eyes off her, he couldn't. He wasn't even wholly away people were behind him. He was transfixed on the girl. He leaned in closer, watching her eyes.

It was faint, but he saw them flicker. He kept watching and they flickered again.

Then slowly…her eyes fluttered open.

Then closed.

It was only brief, but to Rexsten, it seemed like another eternity. Her eyes were glassy, unfocused, but they were still the most brilliant shade of blue.

He kept watching her eyes when they fluttered open again.

A third time.

On the fourth time, her eyes moved, rolling listlessly in her head. Still not focusing.

On the fifth time…they rolled again, but this time back and forth.

It was the sixth time when she actually seemed to be seeing something, and a low moan drifted from her.

Now she blinked and her eyes began to water. She raised the back of her hand and wiped the tear away, moaning again in the effort. She held her arm out in front of her, rotating her arm in her vision. Her fingers laboriously flexing clenched and unclenched. First as a unit, then one by one. All the while her eyes having the look of someone who was very tired.

Her hand settled back down, like the effort to move an arm wore her out.

Rexsten could relate to that feeling.

He followed the arm's path back down to her side, and when he looked back at her face…

She was looking directly at him, eyes wide.

Her lips quivered again as she tried to say something, but only frail squeaks came out. Her legs shook again, but only sporadically, in quick pulses.

Rexsten, moving slowly showed her his pal, took a slight step back. He spoke, in as calm and deliberate a voice as he could manage. "Okay. It's okay. I will not harm you. I only want to help."

She just stared at him, eyes still wide.

"I just want to help. Do you understand? Just…blink if you understand me."

She blinked. Her expression changed to one of confusion a split second later. It was like her response surprised her.

"My name is…" He swallowed past the lump in his throat, flicking his eyes to his mother who had returned at some point. "Rexsten. Do you still understand?"

Her lips started working again, she mouthed the word "Yes". Her eyes slackened some. Her mouth worked once more, and this time…she said in a weak strained voice. "R-ex…sten."

He nodded. "Yes, that's my name."

She tried speaking again, but nothing came out but a croak. Her hand went to her throat, and she let out a strained cough. Her expression was a hard grimace as she turned away. She took a minute then, turned and started to say something, but her eyes went wide again. She wasn't looking at Rexsten this time.

At some point, Darlo had left and gotten a glass of water. He'd appeared, handing a glass cup to her.

Rexsten looked at the cup and then at Darlo, his eyes narrowed.

Darlo winked at Rexsten then produced a straw which he dropped into the cup. "Your throat's dry. Drink this," he said to her as he held it up to her lips.

She looked at the cup intently. Rexsten was just about to push the cup away from her when Darlo gave the glass a shake, and ice rattled inside the cup. "C'mon girl. It's just water."

Whatever trance she was in, she was snapped out of. Then she leaned over and took the straw into her mouth and drank deeply.

Darlo gave one of his half smiles. "There? Now isn't that better?"

She spoke, but this time her voice was much stronger. "Y-yes." This also surprised her as she gasped and her hand went back to her throat.

Darlo nodded. "Good, now, do-"

"Do you have a name?" Rexsten asked, glaring at Darlo. Darlo wasn't looking at him, but he did twist his lips at Rexsten.

She blinked. "M-my n-name?"

"Yeah, a name. Like mine is Darlo." He jerked a thumb as Rexsten. "His is Rexsten. The old lady back there is Wu Lin. Everybody has something they go by."

She started putting together words together better. "Something…they go by?"

"Yeah, didn't people ever call you anything?"

Her brow scrunched up. "Uh…my name? It's…I…" She shook her head. "I…can't…"

"…remember?" Rexsten finished.

"Yes." Then she shook her head again. "No. I…I don't…" She grabbed her forehead. "I'm sorry…but…

Rexsten nudged Darlo back when his elbow before he could say anything else. "No, it's fine. Do not strain yourself." To Darlo he said, "Get her another glass of water."

"Why? She doesn't…" Darlo began, but he saw the look in Rexsten's face. He pursed his lips then shrugged. "Whatever."

Giala wheeled into the room after Darlo left, smiling at the white haired girl. "Hello."

The girl's gaze flicked to the floor at that, but then she said, "Hello," back to Giala.

She motioned for Rexsten to lean over. He did and she whispered in his ear, "I just got off the line with Dr. Ling. He's on his way. He said ask her if she remembers what happened to her before."

Rexsten gave a quick nod. Then he asked the girl, "Do you, by any chance, remember where you were? Before now?"

The girl's face went blank. "Where…I was? Before?"

"Before you woke up here."

Her eyes darted around, as she tried to remember. "I was-" Her hand shot to her head. "Nngh."

Rexsten felt his muscles tense up. "Are you okay?"

She rubbed a spot in the center of her forehead, where a small blue, diamond shaped stone was. "Yes, I…think I am. But…I…don't…nngh. I…can't…remember."

"Nothing?"

A scared look came to her face now. "I don't remember anything before now! Nothing at all."

Rexsten, his mother, and a worried Wu Lin exchanged glances as Darlo returned.

When she saw Darlo and the cup, she tried to push herself up into a sitting position. Rexsten moved to help, but Giala grabbed his arm, shaking her head "No".

It took a minute or so, and a lot of grunting and groaning, but she managed it, and Darlo didn't need to hold the cup for her.

The girl drank the glass of water without using the straw and her expression brightened. "Wait…no…I do remember hearing someone."

"Someone?" Rexsten repeated, leaning closer.

"Calling out to me…in the dark…"

"Calling to you in the dark…"

"They were…saying one word…over and over again?"  
"What word?"  
"It was…"

"It was?

"I-In…dra. They were saying Indra…I think…" She gasped. Then her hand shot out grabbed Rexsten's arm. It was a surprisingly firm grip. And she had an excited look on her face. "Rexsten! I think…that's my name! Indra! Yes, that's it. My name is Indra!"

Indra.

Her name was Indra.

"That is a very beautiful name," Rexsten said gently. "Indra."

_Chapter 13: The Mission_


	14. Urgent Notice

**Urgent Notice**

I have good news and bad news. Bad news first.

This isn't easy for me, but I've come to a decision. I'm halting all writing on Avatar: The Next Legend. It's been about a year since I started writing and I needed to do some self objective review and…I'm pissed. Okay, that's too harsh. I'm intensely displeasured with myself. And it isn't even the early spelling and grammar errors. Its plot related.

I put the cart before the horse too many times. I took 12 chapters to get to the main plot and I'm disgusted at myself for it. And most of those chapters didn't even need to exist. There are too many perspectives too soon that I realized I wouldn't get to develop until much later on and the plot kept getting more convoluted. Other things just grated at me like Olan backtracking being a waste of time in retrospect or the entire chapter about D. Trying to withhold information and dancing around what should be obvious in some weak effort to be clever.

I just can't let it stand.

But, before you think I'm stopping entirely, I'm not. I'm merely overhauling my story. I'm cutting out unneeded characters for later or from the story completely. I'm doing the same with chapters and plot lines.

I can't put a timeline on how long this will take. This story is pretty much my baby. I put a lot of thought (maybe too much) into it. And in an effort not to rush and to ensure quality, I'm going to use a beta reader and won't even consider posting chapter one until I've already worked up to chapter 6.

I offer an apology to any people that have been faithfully following my work and I can't express enough gratitude. In the end, I want to tell the best story I can for others to enjoy. I just fell I could do so much better than I have.

Now here's some good news. While A:TNL has been put on the backburner despair not. I've still got other stories to tell. I've already started a new story within the same universe as A:TNL titled "Avatar: A Man and his Spear" which should be posted shortly(or rather once my beta reader comes back online). I'm also mulling over a completely original story or two, but they're still in infancy. So, stay clued in, if you would.

A message from Eman5805.

One.


	15. Urgent Notice 2

**Urgent Notice #2**

Remember when I said I'd update my story one of these days and start it again? Well, it's back. It's under the heading of "Avatar: The Heart of a Lion-Turtle". I've retained most of the old characters, Darlo, Rexsten, and such.

You can find it under my page name.

Hope you enjoy this new direction. I hope I show my progress as a writer in all this time to you all.

One.


End file.
